Home is where the heart is
by Ronja85
Summary: A young boy walks in to the lives of the Dukes and finds a way in to their hearts and their adventures. Is Bo finely sticking to one girl? And will Enos know how to conquer Daisy? 8 new chapters! Let me know what you think okay?
1. Chapter 1

It was just an ordinary Saturday afternoon when Bo and Luke Duke drove their orange racecar in to town. They had started their day with beer and donuts together with their best friend Cooter Davenport at his garage. After this weekly ritual they had been putting up fences, they knocked over the day before during playing catch with Enos and now they drove in to town to run some errands their uncle Jesse had sent them for.

"If you keep driving like this 'cus, I think I'm gonna hide your car keys someday." Luke said with a complaining tone in his voice. "I'm not planning on putting up fences every Saturday ya know."  
Bo gave him an annoyed look, "Cute Luke, very cute. It ain't my fault Enos is driving better each day. He almost had us yesterday. If I didn't drove us through oll man Davis his fence we would have ended up paying that speeding ticket."  
Luke grinned, "Enos is getting better isn't he. Guess we could've expected that, we've taught him everything we know."  
Bo grinned back at his cousin. "Yeah we sure did, and it's biting us in the tale now. Bo parked the car in front of the hardware store and the boys went in to get some nails, tools and other things Jesse had told them to get.

About 15 minute later while they were loading everything in the trunk of their car they saw an early teenage boy running out of Mr. Williams grocery store and just a couple of seconds later Mr. Williams himself came out with his fist in the air. "Somebody catch that thieve." They heard him yell. Bo and Luke saw there was no need to for them to run after the little shoplifter 'cause the boy was definitely out of luck and ran right in to the arms of Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane.  
"Well well lookie here." Rosco said to the boy with a mean grin on his face. "Thought you could get away right. Well not on my watch you don't khee khee." The boy didn't say a word and only tried to wrestle himself loose from Rosco's firm grip. "You just settle down boy before I cuff ya and stuff ya." Rosco warned him.  
Mr. Williams had joined them now and looked at the boy as if he looked at something really disgusting "Nothing good comes out those kids today." He mumbled more to him self than to Rosco.  
"Don't you worry 'bout a thing sir. I'll take care of this one personally." Rosco said while putting his chest up in the air. "If you just come to the station a little bit later this afternoon to press charges, I'll make sure this little felon will get what he deserves."  
"I don't care who does what as long as it gets done." The grocer said grumpy and he walked back to his store.  
Bo and Luke had observed the whole scenario and though they didn't had up a lot with steeling they couldn't help feeling sorry for the boy, especially because of seeing Rosco having just al little to much fun in his job.  
Luke was the first to open his mouth. "Hey Rosco." He said in a loud voice while crossing the street. "Don't ya got nothin' better to do than bullying kids?"  
Rosco, who was never happy to see a Duke, especially didn't feel like talking to one right now. "You just keep out of this Luke Duke. I'm just doing my duty as Sheriff here. Arresting little criminals is part of that."  
"Now Rosco you know just as well as we do, Boss Hogg ain't gonna be happy if you bring in a little kid who stole some candy." Bo supported his cousin.  
"And why would that be." Rosco asked. "Well simple." Luke said with a know-all voice." ''Cause it doesn't bring in any money. You can't put a fine on shoplifting and while you are wasting your time with this boy here you could've conned a whole lot of tourist what does make money for Boss."  
Rosco looked a little bit stunned. "Oe hhmm well I didn't think of that." He stuttered.  
"Well why don't you just hand over the boy to us and you try to convince Mr. Williams later this afternoon not to press charges. We'll take care of the boy and make sure he gets home and if Mr. Williams still wants to make a case out of it we'll have him back whit ya in no time."  
Rosco seemed to be thinking about Luke proposal, but than let the boy loose. "All right then but from now on you're responsible for everything this boy does. If he's steeling again I'll make sure to throw all three of ya not in but under the jail."  
"Yeah Rosco you do that." Bo said with a mocking smile. Rosco looked a little offended and wanted to walk away.  
Luke shied. "Rosco, don't you want the boy to empty his pocket, so you can see what it is he stole and you can give it back to Mr. Williams." He said on a 'do I have to tell you everything' kind of tone.  
"Yes of course I want that, I was just getting to that. Boy, empty your pockets!"  
The boy hadn't said a word the whole time and was just wandering who Boss Hogg was, why the Sheriff definitely didn't seem to like these two men and why they were helping him in the first place. Because he didn't wanted to ruin what looked like his saving, he did what he was told and came up with an apple and some candy bars.  
"Inside pockets too please." Luke said with a stern voice.  
The boy frowned and reached inside his jacked. "I only have one." He mumbled while digging up a box of matches and a pocketknife.  
Rosco who seemed to be surprised how much stuff could come out of one kid's jacked collected all the stolen goods. "Well I'm gonna return this immediately to Mr. Williams and you three better be gone when I get back before I change me mind about all this." Rosco tried to sound superior.  
"We will, Rosco." Luke said while putting a hand on the boys shoulder. "We will."

Now Rosco was gone and they were walking to their car Luke thought it might be handy to introduce themselves. "My name is Luke Duke." He said with a friendly voice. "And this is my cousin Bo Duke. What's your name buddy?"  
"It's Nick, and I'm not your buddy." The boy said cross.  
Luke and Bo looked a bit stunned at each other. "Well that's not a very nice way to talk to people who just saved your sorry hide from the Sheriff now is it?" Bo reacted wound up. "Well I didn't ask you to." Nick said still a bit provoking, but with a much softer voice and his eyes searching the floor.  
Bo, who didn't had up a lot with children wanted to react again, but Luke beat him to it. "Well Nick we told the Sheriff we would take care of ya, so better get in the car then, or if you want we can bring you back to Rosco that's fine by us too."  
Nick looked at him for a second and then grabbed the door handle to open the door of the car. He was amazed to find it stuck.  
"It's a racecar." Luke explained before the boy could ask. "The doors are welded shot. You have to clime through the window like this." And he showed the boy how.  
Nick tried to clime trough the window with the same skills, but he couldn't help looking clumsy. Bo had to hide a grin what he didn't do well.

Just a couple of moments later they were driving out of the town. Nick had found his place at the backseat, Bo was behind the wheel and Luke drove shotgun. "So Nick, you also got a last name, or were you just born as Nick?" Luke asked. "It's Taylor." Nick answered shortly. "Then you're not from around here are ya? 'Cause the only Taylor's we know here don't have kids your age and definitely no kids that steal." He said while looking over his shoulder.  
Nick gave him a dirty look. "No I'm not." he replied  
"So where do ya folks live then?" He asked ignoring the look Nick gave him.  
"My parents are dead." The boy just stated.  
"Ow, we're sorry to hear that." Bo said while looking in his mirror.  
The boy just shrugged his shoulders. "Well they've been dead for about a year now, guess ya get used to it."  
Again the cousins looked at each other with an astonished look on their face. They had both lost their parents and they knew you didn't just get used to that.  
"So you live in the Hazzard orphanage then?" Luke asked.  
Nick shook his head. "No, I just live everywhere I can sleep. I was just traveling through when I bumped in to your Sheriff." Luke just nodded without saying anything. He reckoned this might be getting more complicated then he had expected  
"All right than Bo, better just head to the farm then. Uncle Jesse must be wandering what is taking us so long."  
"You've got it cus'." And he floored the gas pedal. Bo didn't like the way this situation looked. He wasn't very fond of children and if this boy didn't had a home, he knew the Dukes-hospitality-rules described they would put him up for a while. At least until they found some better suiting accommodation for him. "Hey Luke, why don't we take a shortcut here." Bo said with a smile.  
Luke saw those twinkling lights in his cousin's eyes. "Well, I guess we could take the bridge that runs over dry creek." He replied smiling.  
"You do mean that bridge the destroyed two years a go and never put back up right?"  
"That's the one."  
"All right" Bo exclaimed and he took a right turn of the main road.  
Nick didn't know what was happening around him. He had never seen people drive like this and what about taking a bridge that wasn't there? He didn't say anything, because he didn't wanted to look like a wimp but actually his hart was beating like crazy.  
"Better hang on now Nick." Luke said smiling. "My cousin here is about to jump that creek right ahead of us."  
You're kidding right?" Nick called out, but Luke didn't need to answer his question cause just a couple of seconds later Nick heard Bo yell "YEEHAH!!!" and the car flew over the creek before smashing in to ground again and drove on without any sign of broken parts or what so ever. Nick had been pushed flat to the backseat and tried to get up again while checking himself for broken bones.  
Bo grinned, "The man told you to hang on." He said laughing.  
"Man!!!, you guys always drive like this?" Nick asked with admiration in his voice.  
"Well, he does." Luke joked, while pointing at Bo. "Even when he drives to church."  
"You're just always bragging on me." Bo joked back.  
"Man!!!" Nick called out again. "No wonder the sheriff didn't like you guys."  
"Rosco dislikes us for a whole lot more than just our driving." Bo said while sniffing a bit from contempt.  
"And deep down that corrupt hart of his he loves us just as much, but most of the time he just doesn't remembers that." Luke added.

At that moment the Dukes pulled up the driveway of their farm and parked the car in front of the barn. Jesse Duke had heard the car pull up the driveway and was standing at the front porch waiting. "What took you boys so long?" He asked when they had come out of the car and dragged the supplies out of the trunk. Luke smiled and gave Bo the 'I told you so' look.  
"We run in to Rosco." Bo said with a grin.  
Jesse sighed and put up a stern face. "You tell me ya didn't get yourself in to any trouble now ya hear."  
"We didn't Uncle Jesse." Luke said, calming the old man down. "But our new friend here did, come out of that car now Nick and give us a hand." He called to the boy who sat still on the backseat of the orange car. Nick climbed out the car but wasn't very eager to help.  
"Well then, who's our guest?"  
"This is Nick, Uncle Jesse. We kind of ran in to him at the same time we ran in to Rosco." "Aha well hi there Nick." Jesse said while offering the boy his hand. "My name is Jesse Duke." There was something about this man that made Nick feel a bit nervous and because of it he didn't look the man in the eye while accepting the hand and stating his full name.

"Why don't you just go inside the house already?" Luke suggested. "We come in as soon as we put all this stuff away." Nick did as he was told and as soon as he had disappeared in the house Bo and Luke started to explain what had happened that afternoon.  
"You see Uncle Jesse, it seems like he has nowhere to go. That is if he ain't lying about his parents being dead and I can't imagine that." Luke said.  
Jesse nodded. "I think we can find a bed for him here, until we find some help for him." Jesse said. Bo couldn't help pulling a nasty face. "Is there a problem Bo?" Uncle Jesse asked.  
"No sir, I understand we have to help they boy, but it's just I don't like kids that much and this one ain't the most cheery one of them all either."  
"That's funny though, considering you behave like a child most of the time yourself." Luke said teasingly. Bo gave his cousin a deadly look but decided not to react. Partly because he knew Luke had a point. He was 21 years old but felt like a teenager more than occasionally.  
"One way or another, us Dukes have never let anybody stand out in the cold. Nor stranger, friend or enemy, and today is not gonna be the first time." Jesse told his boys while walking in to the kitchen. "As long as they know there won't be any steeling done in this house." He said with a deep voice while holding out his hand in front of the boy with the palm up. Bo and Luke were surprised to see this 'cause they had walked in to the kitchen at the same time as their uncle had done and they hadn't seen Nick take anything. Though as always Jesse also seemed to be right this time cause after, what looked like a short period of doubting Nick started to empty his pockets again and pulled out a slice of bread, some cheese, two silver teaspoons and some small coins. 'Dang, that boy is quick.' Luke thought to himself. "It won't be necessary to just take anything here." Jesse said stern to the boy. "If you want something you can ask for it and we'll get it for ya if we can. Got that?" Nick didn't replied but let his eyes search the ground. Uncle Jesse laid the stuff he'd got back from the boy on the kitchen table and looked at him. Nick was not that tall and looked very skinny under those dusty clothes he wore. His hair was messy and greasy and Jesse couldn't help thinking this boy could have been Cooter's little brother, if he had, had one. "I'll guess you must be hungry." The old man said friendly while he shortly laid his hand on the boy's head as a comforting gesture. "I'll ask Daisy to get you a bath so you can clean up while I'll make ya sometin' to eat."  
Nick didn't see why he had to get cleaned up first, all he wanted was food, but considering the fact this man had just caught him steeling his things and still didn't kick him out he didn't  
dare to object and just nodded.  
"Good, then about you two boys, putting up fences you knocked over might be just fine, but it sure doesn't get things done around here. Now there're still a couple of windows that need fixing and that barn needs a good paintjob before it starts rotting away."  
Bo couldn't help a grin. "I'm not sure whether it would hold the extra weight, uncle Jesse." He said laughing. "I'm afraid that when we even touch the darn thing with as much as a brush it will collapse."  
"Well then you two just have to build it all up again now don't ya!" The old man said a bit irritated. "Now you better get busy I'll have supper ready within an hour and it would be nice if you had some work done by then." Bo and Luke looked at each other and shrugged there shoulders at the same time, while both smiling. "Well cus', guess you better take those windows, you're the handyman around her, then I'll start sanding that barn." Bo suggested  
"You've got it, Bo." Luke reacted while slapping his cousin on the shoulder.  
Nick watched the two men leaving the kitchen. Were had he end up? What kind of family was this? Two cousins, an uncle and someone called Daisy he hadn't met yet. They all looked pretty close but the o'll man definitely held the strings.  
"Daisy would you get in here please." He heard Jesse call.  
Nick was watching the living room door when he saw this girl walking in that took his breath away for a second. Daisy Duke wore the shortest shorts he had ever seen and she walked in with a smile that could light a cave. "What can I do for ya uncle Jesse?" She asked in a cheery voice.  
"Daisy, could you show our guest here the bathroom and look whether you can find some o'll clothes from Bo or Luke that would fit him for a while."  
"Sure, that would be Luke's old clothes than, Bo was much bigger even than. You just come right along now sugar."  
Nick followed her in to the back of the house and in to the bathroom. Daisy opened the water taps and gave the boy a towel. "Soap and shampoo are over there." She said and pointed at the edge of the bathtub. "I'll put some close in front of the door and if ya need anything else just holler and I'll come and help ya."  
Nick couldn't help blushing a bit and mumbled. "I'll be fine, thank you." as Daisy left the room.

While lying in the bathtub Nick was thinking what he had to do next. He could not deny he was glad these people had saved them from the sheriff and that he would have some proper food tonight, but what would they want from him in return? The last couple of weeks had taught him not a whole lot of people did anything without getting better of it themselves. And even if they did, they would probably send him to that orphanage he heard them talk about and he didn't liked that at all. Should he make a run for it tonight after supper? He didn't know why but something told him he shouldn't, even though he knew sooner or later this family would send him away to somewhere he didn't want to go. Just like al the others.

Still not quite sure whether he liked this situation, but at least clean and in clothes without holes in them, Nick walked in to the kitchen. Jesse was behind the stove. He was stirring in a pan with one hand and at the same time holding some plates in the other. "Ah Nick, would you please help me with this before I drop them." He asked friendly. Nick took the plates from him and placed them on the table. "Thank you very much." Jesse said sincere. "Now in that draw you can find the cutlery if you would be so kind to set the table a bit, I would very much appreciate it. The boys still out doing there chores and with Daisy of to work I'm some hands short and I wouldn't want to spoil supper by burning it." Nick didn't want his food to get burned either, so he opened the draw and took out the cutlery. While standing before the table he looked troubled at the knifes, forks and spoons in his hand. "Knifes at the right, forks at the left and spoons at the top of the plate." Jesse said without looking up from the stove. Nick wondered how this man knew what he was thinking. Earlier that afternoon he was sure nobody had seen him take anything. He had al that stuff already in his pockets before the men walked in and still Jesse Duke seemed to have known. Just when he had finished, Luke came in. "Already earning your keep I see." He said jokingly. "That's mighty nice of you, lending a hand." Nick just smiled. He was given an awful lot of thanks for just setting the table. "Bo will be right in, he just putting the sand machine back in the bar." Jesse nodded and Luke disappeared to wash up.

About ten minutes later everybody sat down at the kitchen table and Jesse placed the last pan at the middle of it. Nick who was starving didn't waste a second and grabbed a spoon to fill his plate. Jesse gave a short cough to interrupt the boy. "We always say grace before starting our meal." He said in a kind but firm voice.  
"Don't let me bother you." Nick replied while continuing his actions  
"Well, it does bother us." Jesse said with a much more stern voice. "You don't have to join us, but we do expect you to just wait a second and be quiet."  
Nick didn't know why exactly but somehow he didn't want to wait, not even those couple of seconds and he definitely didn't like anybody to say what he could or could not do.  
"Ain't it stupid to thank somebody who doesn't exist?" He said provoking, while filling his plate to the edge.  
Jesse seemed to need al his strength to hold his temper. "You listen carefully boy." He said with an angry voice "You're a guest in this house and it would not do you wrong to show some respect to the people that live in it. So make your choice, wait for a second or take your plate and eat somewhere else."  
The angry voice had scared Nick for a second, but his pride did not let him back out now.  
"Fine!" He said wound up and after grabbing his plate he stormed out of the house.

The men looked at him leaving and were so stunned they didn't know what to say for a moment. "I'm sorry for that, boys." Jesse said after taking a deep breath. "But the kid really riled my nerves there. "  
"Don't be sorry, uncle Jesse." Bo said sincere. "The boy was out of line. He had no right behaving like that."  
"No he hadn't." Luke agreed. "I'm just wondering why he did? Should I go after him, before he's gone?" He asked his uncle.  
The old man shook his head. "Neh, let him be for awhile. I don't think he's going anywhere. He might be eating alone, but at least he's eating and I don't think he's gonna walk away from that"  
The Dukes said grace and enjoyed their meal. Jesse couldn't help noticing though, Luke was being a bit distracted.

After diner Luke and Jesse took care of the dishes. Jesse saw a wrinkle on Luke's forehead, what most of the time meant, he was given his thoughts a hard time.  
"Luke you've been more quiet than a church mouse, now tell me, what's on your mind?" He said in a caring voice.  
"I was just thinking' bout the boy, that's all." Luke said frowning a bit. "I wonder how he ended up like he did, all alone I mean."  
"The boy gets to you don't he?" Jesse asked.  
Luke leaned at the kitchen sink. "Well he does bring back memories. That's for sure. I remember quite some meals I had on that front porch there."  
Jesse grinned. "Yeah, you were quite a handful growing up."  
Luke thought back at his first years he had spend on the farm." He hadn't liked them at all, and had been sure to let everybody know that. Looking back now, he felt sorry for ruining those years, but was glad he was given a family who helped him through that.  
Jesse could almost read his thoughts and laid a hand on his nephews shoulder. "Why don't ya just go see where the kid is and try to straiten him out a bit. See whether you can get him inside again. I'll take care of these." He said while holding a plate in his hand.  
Luke smiled. "Thanks uncle Jesse I will do that."

It didn't took Luke long to find Nick hidden away behind the barn. He couldn't help feel sorry for the boy, seeing him sit there like that. "Enjoyed your private dinner?" He asked while he sad down beside him. Nick didn't respond, only gave him a dirty look.  
"Now don't you look at me like that? You're the one who behaved like a pest in there."  
"Well if I'm such a pest, why don't you just leave me alone than." Nick said wound up  
"Cause we told Rosco we would take care of you and us Dukes never break their promise. And like my cousin said earlier, you could be a bit more thankful for that."  
Nick pulled a grumpy face. "I didn't say anything that wasn't true." He mumbled.  
Luke gave him a stern look. "Now even if that were so." He said with a slight raised voice. "On which I don't agree with you, uncle Jesse gives a whole lot of importance to His Maker, we all do, and while you're staying in his house you should find some respect for that." He paused for a second. "But I think you know that just as well as I do and you were just acting tough. In there."  
"I wasn't acting tough." Nick reacted while throwing a little rock in front of his feet.  
Luke sighed. "Well than you were just behaving like a pest." He said on an indifferent tone "One way or another you owe somebody an apology."  
"I'm not going back in there. Your uncle doesn't like me and I wouldn't know what to say." Luke spread his hands in a small desperate gesture.  
"You can't blame him for being upset. You're only on the farm for about two hours and you already tried to steel his belongings and kept him from talking to his Good Lord. Any person would be upset, doesn't mean he dislikes you though. Everybody is aloud to make mistakes, as long as you admit to them. Haven't they never told ya that?  
Nick hung his head and looked away. If Luke had meant his parents, the answer was definitely no, but he didn't want to tell him that. "Still wouldn't know what to say though." The boy mumbled.  
Luke stood op from the ground and gave him a smile. "Well, most of the time an apology includes the words 'sorry' and 'won't do it again' but I'm sure you'll think of something original yourself. Now com'mon or do you also wanna sleep outside after your outdoor supper, 'cause that's possible too ya know. We'll get ya a sleeping bag and all. Wouldn't advise it though, it's get quite cold here at night. Believe me."  
"Tell me something I don't know." Nick said barely hearable but he stood up and followed the man in to the house.

In the living room, Bo was sitting at the table checking out his latest purchase, a Spiderman comic book and Jesse had sat himself down at the couch to read the newspaper. When Nick walked in to the room he found himself being the centre of their attention though. He didn't know where to look and felt very uncomfortable, what became even worse when Luke, who'd stood beside him, took place at the table, leaving him to stand alone in the middle of the room.

"So you're back." Jesse opened the conversation.

Nick nodded and looked at the ground.

"Now there's now need to search that oll floor, nothing to see there." Jesse corrected him.

Nick looked up in shy kind of way. He wasn't used to look people in the eye.

"I eh…I don't exactly know how to eh …start this." Nick stuttered.

"Now why don't ya just start with taking a seat first?" Jesse said while pointing at the rocking chair in front of him. "And than just say whatever ya have to say."

Nick did as he was told and took a seat.

"I eh…I wanted to apologize for what I did at the table." Nick said in a nervous but sincere voice. "I had no call behaving like that and I won't do it again. If I'm still aloud to stay that is."

Although Jesse had been quite upset with the boy, he could see that Nick really meant what he said and he valued that.

"Well you sure were behaving badly." Jesse said, starting of a bit stern, to ease up after it. "But I do appreciate you're willing to admit that now, so apology accepted. Let's just call it a bad start and leave it at that." Jesse paused and looked at Nick for a moment. "Now to answer your question. we said you could stay here for the time being and that offer still stands, but we have to make some things very clear then."

Even though Jesse's voice had sounded quite friendly, Nick couldn't help looking at the floor again. Jesse saw it but didn't say anything about it.

"In this house." He explained. "We take a couple of things very serious and one of them is our faith in the Lord and our task to serve Him. We expect you to show some respect for that as long as you're in this house, and because we can't leave ya alone at the farm that also means ya have to join us at church tomorrow morning."

Nick put up a complaining face. "I can stay behind by myself, I don't mind." He said

Jesse frowned. "Well let's just say we don't know that yet."

"It ain't that bad." Luke added. "And Bo and me will take ya fishing after it, allright?"

Nick sighed "Allright then, I'll go" He said without a lot of enthusiasm.

"Good." Jesse stated. "Then a second thing that might needs mentioning, this is a farm and everybody helps with the work that has to be done. Now you are our guest and we don't actually want you to earn your keep but, it's no good for a boy your age to just hang around doing nothing. Especially because I don't believe you're attending any school at the moment. So you'll have to help out around here."

Nick's face changed from complaining to nasty. He wasn't a big fan of working and besides that he had never been on a farm. He wouldn't know what or how to do anything.

"Is that clear then?" Jesse asked, because he wasn't given any response.

"Yeah sure, what ever." Nick said barely hearable and on a cranky tone.

Luke looked at him with disapproval. "I think ya meant to say 'yes sir' didn't ya." He corrected the boy on a tone that didn't accept any objections.

Luke's words seemed to strike target, because Nick looked up and gave Jesse a sad kind of smile. "Yes sir." He said "I'll help out."

"Well that's settled then." Jesse said with a kind smile while he got up from the couch. "Guess we better get that spare room ready for ya then."


	2. Chapter 2

Meanwhile in the Boars Nest, Daisy was bringing everybody their beers. Although see had big dreams about becoming a great songwriter or a journalist, she enjoyed here work and served every customer with a smile. She was just making small talk with Army Hitchfield when Enos walked in to the bar. "Hi there Enos." Daisy said with one of her most loveliest smiles." "Hehhehhi there Daisy." Enos stuttered a bit. "You have a buttermilk for me?"

"Coming right up honey." Daisy poured the buttermilk and handed the town deputy his glass.

"So how's the law enforcing these days Enos?" Daisy asked.

"Very good." He answered with a big smile. "Good enough for me to find the time to come and say hi to you."

Daisy saw he was blushing a bit while he said it and had to giggle a bit. "While I really appreciate it Enos, just as much as I appreciate you didn't arrest my cousins for quite a while now."

Enos pulled a sad face. "Now Daisy, you know I don't like going after Bo and Luke, but if Mister Hogg wants it I don't have a choice." He sad almost apologizing.

"I know Enos." Daisy sad comforting, feeling guilty that her little joke had mad Enos feel bad. "You're a good deputy and I'm sure when you run for sheriff one day, you'll make an honest town out of Hazzard."

"Well thank ya Daisy." Enos said while taking a sip of his buttermilk leaving a white mustache. "I heard that ya'all took in that boy this morning."

Daisy nodded. "Yes, Nick is with us at the farm. He's a nice kid I guess, I didn't had a lot of time to get to know him though. I had to go to work right of."

"Well most of the townsfolk don't think he's that nice. There has been a lot of shoplifting taken place last few day's. They can't prove it, but now sheriff Rosco caught Nick at Mr. Williams's store this morning they all think he stole from them too."

"Ah poor boy." Daisy said sincere.

"Yeah, guess ya right about that." Enos said while he stood up from his bar seat and put his hat back on. "I'll have to go again now, duty's calling."

"Sure honey. Why don't ya come around for supper sometime?" Daisy asked him.

Enos gave her an excited look. "Ya sure Daisy? I would really like that."

Daisy gave him a warm smile. "Now that's settled then, just let me know when you're free and me and Uncle Jesse will make something good."

Enos was overexcited and backed in a couple of tables while he wanted to leave the bar.

"I'll do that, I'll have to go now, but I will let ya know soon." He said while putting the chairs back in order and stumbling out of the bar.

When he'd got outside he had to take a deep breath first before he got in his car. "Possumonagombush," He mumbled to himself. "Daisy asked me for dinner."

Inside Daisy was giggling about Enos clumsiness. In spite of that goofy way the deputy had over himself, Daisy could not help having this special feeling for him She just wondered how Enos would be if he wasn't that nervous around her all the time.

Back at the Duke farm the spare room was all set and everybody was sitting in the living room again. Nick had noticed Bo's comic book collection and was all over it. "Man, those are awesome!" Nick said impressed while he was sitting at the table and went trough them. "This is a first edition ain't it?" He asked while holding up a Fantastic Four copy?" Bo stood beside him with a worried face, making sure nothing would happen to the comics

"Yeah it is. You like them?"

Nick nodded enthusiastic. "Yes they're great, but I like X-man better though. Nobody beats Wolverine."

Bo grinned. "Well I'm more a Superman kind of guy but I guess wolverine I okay too." Nick looked a little suspicious at Bo. "I wouldn't have taken ya for a comic fan." He said doubting. "Ain't ya kind of old for that?"

Luke almost choked in his coffee from laughing at that. Bo gave his cousin an angry look. "Well not a lot of people would I think." He answered ignoring the last remark. "Actually it's right up there behind cars."

"Make that third place and add girls to the list." Luke said teasing.

Bo pulled a big smile "Well can't argue with that now, can I?" He said laughing.

As Bo and Nick continued their friendly quarrel, arguing about who was stronger The Hulk or The Thing, Jesse came walking in the room with milk and a tray of homemade cookies, that Daisy had made that afternoon.

"Maybe it's a good idea when ya tell us a little bit more about yourself Nick." He said, while he handed the boy a glass and some cookies.

"Not much to tell there." Nick said short and pretended he went on reading the comic books.

"Sure there is." Jesse said patient while laying a hand on the boys shoulder. "Now you can trust us, we won't judge ya, but we have to know what happened to ya."

Nick sighed but still kept his mouth shot.

"Why don't ya start with telling us about what happened to your parents?" Luke said

Nick understood this people would not give up, so he took a deep breath.

"Well they died in a car crash. Me and Thom were at school when they told us."

"Thom is your brother?" Bo asked.

"Little brother yeah, he is 5 years younger than me, he's 7 now."

"So what happened then?" Luke asked.

"Well we were brought to some aunt from our mom who we had never seen before, but she couldn't take care of us. She was to old or something so they brought us to an orphanage."

"And you didn't like it there much?" Jesse guessed.

"No I didn't. When Tommy and I were together it wasn't that bad, but he'd got adopted pretty soon so and I couldn't see him that much anymore."

"Didn't they keep you two together then?" Jesse asked.

Nick shook his head and looked sad at the table. "I guess they tried, but everybody liked Thom ya know and that's no wonder he's great, but well, I ehh…I…eeh." Nick didn't know how to put it.

"That's okay." Luke said understanding. "We get what you trying to say, so those people adopted your little brother and you stayed behind. When exactly did ya decided to run away?"

Nick thought back. "Three months a go, something like that. After the Yardley's had sent me back I guess." Nick paused. "They were the forth family in 6 months." He added softly. "Guess I'm just not that good with people telling me what to do."

"We noticed that." Bo said jokingly to cheer up the mood a little. Luke gave him an irritable look, but Nick seemed to handle the joke well enough and smiled.

"So you've been out there for three months." Luke said a little shocked.

"Yeah something like that." Nick said a bit indifferent. "I've been traveling around a bit, hitchhiking and stuff just went where I found somewhere to sleep."

"And nobody noticed you were out there on your own?" Bo asked.

"Guess not." Nick said shrugging his shoulders. He didn't really understand why anyone should have noticed or cared to have noticed for that matter.

"So that was when you started steeling?" Luke guessed.

Nick shook his head. "No, I mean I had to steel to have something to eat of course, but that wasn't when I started with it. Hell no, Tommy and I've been steeling ever since we knew how."

"Now you watch your language boy." Jesse said more out of habit than anything else and without sounding upset. "And that is not a good thing you're telling us there, what about your parents, didn't they know? Didn't they were very upset with the both of ya?"

Nick looked a little confused. "No sir, our dad always told us to go out there and make sure we had enough to eat. He only got mad when we didn't"

It became very quiet in the Dukes living room, cause nobody knew how to react at that.

Nick looked nervously at the faces staring at him. Jesse felt like he had to say something, but even he wasn't sure what would be the right thing to say. "Now Nick I don't want to speak ill about your family and I'm sure your daddy had his reasons, but that there is a sad story." He started. "Steeling is not a good thing and no parent should ever make their kids do anything like that. Everybody is put on this earth to do their share of work. Now some might have to work harder then others and some might be given less money then others, but everybody has to work for there belongings, and if you can't one way or an other, there are other ways out. Taking things that ain't yours is just plain wrong!"

"But sometimes you don't have a choice right?" Nick asked confused. "I mean I know you aren't suppose to, otherwise those cops wouldn't come after ya, but if ya don't have anything yourself, it's not that bad right?"

Jesse sighed. "You just picture yourself working very hard for something, cause most people have to, specially around here, and now imagine somebody just taking it from you. How would you feel about that?"

Nick tried to thing of something anybody could take from him. "Pretty angry I suppose." He answered after a moment.

"Right, now wouldn't ya do anything to prevent anyone from feeling that way because of you."

Nick didn't really know how to answer that question. He never really thought about it that way, but still thought there would be exceptions to any situation."

"Nobody should be starving of hunger, but steeling is against the law and the law is there to be obeyed and like I said, there are always other ways out. There are people and services that can help a person."

"Except of course when that ain't possible because of a natural disaster blowing everything and anybody away or something." Bo said jokingly in a 'but that probably will never happen' kind of way.

Jesse raised his eyebrows and gave his youngest nephew a disapproved look, for making jokes in a serious conversation.

"Well then maybe." Jesse said a bit irritable and without sounding really convinced. "But the bottom-line is when ya take something that ain't yours, people end up hurt and that's just wrong."

"Is this making any sense to ya?" Luke asked in a caring voice?

"Suppose so." Nick replied. He still had a lot of thoughts running around in his head.

"So you'll be apologizing to Mr. Williams then tomorrow morning after church?" Jesse asked.

"Do I have a choice?" Nick asked on a skeptical tone

"Ya always have a choice." Bo said

"Just would be the wrong one when ya choose not to." Luke added.

'Man, what a family!' Nick thought to himself

"Al right then I will." He said, knowing that just meant he did not have a choice "But that fishing better be worth it." He added. His pride not allowing him to just give in that easily.

The Dukes knew this was the best they could achieve in one day and left it at that.

"Good then." Jesse said. "I think we better call it a night for ya then, and get ya of to bed. Tomorrow is an early morning. Toothbrush and pajamas if you please them lie ready on your bed."

"Oh, no need to, I'm not tired yet." Nick replied casual, but the looks he was given by Jesse and Luke told him that wasn't an acceptable response.

"All right, all right, no need to get wound up, I'm gone already." He said a bit cross and he wanted to get upstairs.

"He kid!" Bo called after him in a heavy voice. "What!?" Nick called out while he turned around and looked at the tall blond man, wondering what he did wrong this time.

"Here take this one with ya." Bo just said and handed him the first edition comic book. "Ya can read it in bed before falling in to sleep."

Nick stared amazed at the comic before accepting it. "Ow, eh..thanx." He said feeling very stupid for his reaction.

"Don't mention it." Bo said "Just keep it in one piece if ya can. Good night now."

"Yeah sure, good night." Nick mumbled still a bit stunned and hurried upstairs.

The men watched him go up the stairs and shook their heads. What a boy!

"So what are we going to do tonight?" Bo asked his cousin when Nick had disappeared  
"Well, we told those little ladies in the Boars Nest yesterday we would be back tonight now didn't we." Luke said  
"Yes sir we did and a Duke never breaks his promise."  
"Sounds like a plan than."  
"Now you two hold it for a second." Jesse interrupted them. "With that young man with us tomorrow morning I don't want you two sitting trough service as a couple zombies ya hear."  
"Don't worry uncle Jesse we won't be back that late." Luke said. "And Bo won't be drinking so he sure be as fit as a fiddle tomorrow."   
"Why ain't I drinking?" Bo said almost insulted. "I'm 21 for quite some time now ya know. I don't need you smuggling me drinks no more."  
"Yeah two whole months that's true, but you're also driving tonight." Luke said as that was an obvious thing.  
"And why is that then?"  
"Well you always want to." Luke grinned  
"Not when we go to the Boars Nest I don't!" Bo was getting quite riled up.  
"Alright, alright, I make ya a deal." Luke said while he headed to the stairs.  
" We split it fare and square I drive us to the Boars Nest and you drive us back. Alright?"  
"Alright!" Said Bo enthusiastic not yet realizing what is was he had agreed to. After a few seconds it hit hem though. "Now that was just down right mean Luke!" He called out to his cousin who was already halfway up the stairs. "You knew I would fall for that."  
"Sure did cus. Now why don't ya heat up the General for me in the meantime, I'll be down in a sec." Bo couldn't believe he had been this stupid and sat down sulking.

Upstairs Luke knocked on the door of the guestroom and walked in. Nick was standing in front of the window wearing his pajama trousers. "Thinking of sneaking off?" Luke kidded.  
Nick gave him a small smile. "No just thinking."  
"Better save the thinking for tomorrow and go to bed now."  
Nick nodded and stepped in to bed.  
"You know, we've been telling you a whole lot of stuff we expect from ya today, but if we can do anything for you I want you to tell me okay."   
"Yeah sure." Nick said a little ill at ease. "Wouldn't know anything though."  
"That's okay. Just let me know if ya do."  
"What time do we have to get up in the morning?"  
"Well the farm life starts early, with the animals have to be taken care of before service, but I guess we'll wake ya at 8 then you have 'bout an hour to get yourself ready and we're leaving at 9" Nick nodded.  
"Alright see ya in the morning then." Luke said while he walked to the door. "Sleep well now."  
"See ya in the morning." Nick replied. The boy doubted for a second but then called just before Luke closed the door. "He Luke!"  
"Yeah?" Luke reacted opening the door again.  
"I've never been fishing before." Nick said like it was a confession.   
Luke smiled. "Well then me and Bo will teach ya some things. You just make sure you fit enough tomorrow okay?"  
"Okay."   
Luke closed they door and after waiting a couple of seconds he saw the chink of light that run under it disappearing.

About an half hour later Bo, Luke and Cooter sat at a table in the Boars Nest. Luke had given in on driving anyway, so he was the only one with a Coke while they others enjoyed their beers."  
"Guess you guys didn't really impress those girls last night." Cooter joked. "They ain't here yet."  
"Well maybe their daddy's heard about us and didn't let them." Bo grinned.  
"Well that won't be the first time would it be Lukas?" Cooter asked. Luke had been sunken in thoughts though and didn't react.  
"Watch up with him?" Cooter asked worried now.  
Bo pulled a mocking face. 'He's like that ever since we run in to that kid." He gave Luke a elbow in the ribs to shake him up. "Luke I swear it if ya don't let it go now I go searching for better looking company." Bo said annoyed.  
"Alright I'm sorry." Luke admitted. "What were ya saying Cooter?"   
Cooter made a indifferent hand gesture "Nothing special, about something else though, are you guys entering that race that's hold in 2 weeks?"   
"Do dogs bark?" Bo said wholehearted. "Sure we are, we have to defend our title."  
"Oh yeah, that's true you won last year."  
"And the year before that." Luke said bragging.  
"Well get ready to see some chancing in that then, cause you might not have that much luck this time."  
"And why would that be?"  
"Cause I'm entering." Cooter said smiling.  
"Cooter, you were also driving last year, why would this year be any different." Bo said cynical.  
"Cause you haven't seen that new engine I put in yet. You wait 'till she is tuned up and nobody can stop her."  
"Well we weren't planning on stopping ya, just passing ya."  
"Well give it your best shot, but I think you might get disappointed." He held his beer mug up." "That the best man may win!" The Duke boys raised their glasses and Bo acknowledged the toast with a good "YEEHAH." All the men laughed end took a sip of their drinks.   
"What's funny over here?" Daisy came standing next to them.  
"Cooter thinking he can beat us at the nevt race." Luke filled her in.   
"Well don't neither of you all think yaselfs winners yet, I heard some guy from out of town is entering and he seems to be really good. Even did some NASCAR-racing."  
"You know his name?" Bo asked excited.  
Daist shook her head. "Sorry honey can't help ya there." And she walked to the bar again.  
Luke frowned. "Why should somebody who drove NASCAR come to Hazzard to race?"  
"Maybe he wasn't good enough to keep up with the big boys?" Cooter guessed.  
"Or he just wants a change of scenery. You have to admit we have quite some good drivers around her." Bo added.  
Luke wanted to react but Cooter interrupted him. "Seems like those daddy's didn't hear about ya after all." He said well pointing at the door. In the door opening they saw the two girls with long hair and skirts almost shorter than Daisy's shorts. "Luke I think I'm in love." Bo said smiling from ear to ear. "With the both of them!!!!"

While the two women joined the men at their table Daisy went on taking orders from her customers. Daisy wasn't the clumsy type but tonight she already had dropped two glasses because of not concentrating and thinking of Enos. She had always had special feelings for the goofy deputy but lately it seemed to take her up completely. She didn't know why exactly. She didn't see in him what most girls saw in her cousins. Enos wasn't tough or cool or even very handsome or smart, but he was cute, honest, sweet, kind and reliable and that were all quality's she looked for in a guy. Besides that he was absolutely crazy about her.

Thinking of all this Daisy just wasn't focusing and suddenly bumped in to a customer whit a full tray of beer in her hands. She tried to keep the tray steady bit couldn't not prevent the classes from knocking over and spilling the beer all over the very large man with way to much hair on his face..

"Arhg!!!" The man cried out. "Can't ya look were ya going, ya stupid little cunt."

Normally Daisy wouldn't let nobody talk to her like that, but she noticed the guy had a bad drunk hanging over him and didn't want to create anymore trouble.

"I'm sorry." She said apologizing. "Let me clean that up for ya." And she tried to wipe the beer of him with a napkin.

"No, no. just leave it." The man said angrily. "You probably mess that up to! Just do were ya good for and get me a beer."

Daisy thought the smartest thing to do was to get the man what he wanted and walked up to the bar. Bo, who saw the whole thing happen on the other hand, didn't agree with that and stood up from his chair

"Now that is no way to talk to a lady." He said when he was standing in front of him. "Especially not when she just said she was sorry."

"Why don't ya just mind your one business, pretty boy." The man said with out giving Bo a lot of attention and turning his back at him.  
"Well, you insulting my cousin is my business, so you just apologize to the ma'am before I'll teach ya some manners." Bo said in an aggressive voice.

The man didn't take Bo's advice kindly though. "I'll teach ya something." He said angry and before Bo really noticed it he had turned around and punched Bo in the face.

Bo stumbled back and kept standing there bended over, his face hiding in his hands.

"Guess you're not as tough as ya are good looking, pretty boy." The man said while he headed towards him. Bo had expected this though and as soon as the man was close enough he slammed in to him as he had done many years playing high school football, knocking the guy to the bar.

The man took another swing at Bo but missed. Bo turned his side at him and elbowed him hard in the stomach. The big man doubled up from pain before Bo's right hook knocked him to the floor.

Luke had stood beside watching, knowing his cousin could handle himself. But thought this was the time to interfere. Bo was standing over the man, holding his fist in the air, when Luke put a hand on his shoulder. "Think ya thought him enough there cus." He said keeping Bo from seriously damage the guy. Bo looked at the floored man with disgust, but took his cousins advice and lowered his fist. "Guess you're right. Wouldn't wanna waist no time having to drive this guy to a hospital." He said while touching his face with a painful look. "He had you bad there, didn't he?" Luke grinned.

"Well I didn't expect he would throw a punch like that." Bo said insulted.

Luke wanted to react, but Daisy interrupted him. "Are you alright sugar?" She said while hugging Bo and softly thatching his sore face."

"Yeah no big deal." He said smiling. "Don't worry about it."

"Well ya just should have let it pas!" She said angry now. And slapping him to the arm. "That guy was trouble to begin with and you're just lucky Rosco didn't walk in. He would have taken any excuse to throw ya in jail."

"I was just defending your honor. Nobody talks to a cousin of mine like that and gets away with it."

Daisy could not stay mad at him and kissed him on the check.

"Thank you for that then." She said in a sweet voice. "Let me get you ya boys a drink"

Bo shook his head grinning. That woman could change moods faster then he and Luke chanced tires. Together!

While the large hairy man was dragged from the floor by some of his buddy's Bo and Luke went back to their seats.

Back at the table, the girl named Becky-Lee looked at Bo with admiration. "That was really cool Bo." She said giggling.

Luke pulled a mocking face. "I don't think it will look so cool in the morning." He said pointing at his own cheekbone.

"Well you didn't stand up for Daisy. I did!" Bo fired back at him.

"No didn't have to I knew you would beat me even when I tried."

"Now I still think you were very brave." Becky-Lee said and gave him a kiss on the lips.

Bo turned kind of red.

For that kind of reward he would let himself get punched in the face any day.


	3. Chapter 3

The boys kept their promise and went home at 12:00, what was a very acceptable time for a Saturday night. "You think Jesse is still up?" Bo asked from the passenger seat. "Luke shrugged. "Not sure, I think he's in bed already, but I don't think the man ever sleeps when we are out late." He said with a soft smile.

"Yeah, we have to help him of that, sometime."

Luke looked at him with a sarcastic expression on his face.

"You coming home with that brose on your face will sure help a lot, that's true." He said laughing.

"Neh guess it won't." Bo had to admit.

Suddenly a sputtering kind of noise came from under the hood. "You here that?" Bo asked.

"Sure do." Luke said with a concerned face. "Doesn't sound good."

"Shell we take a look at it?"

Luke shook his head. "Way to dark now. We are almost home, better hope we make it to the farm and look at it tomorrow."

But the boys weren't in that much luck, cause just about "a quarter of a mile before they should reach the farm the sputtering sound mate a large 'plop' and the General gave up.

Bo slammed his fist on the dashboard. "Dang it!" He said irritated. "Now we have to call Cooter to come and get us."

Luke shook his head. "Bo we're broke." He said on a sad tone. "We still own him money from that busted tail light two weeks a go. Now I'm sure he won't charge us for towing the General, but I don't like the idea of getting him out her when he just went to bed and we can't even pay the man." "Guess we'll be pushing the General home then."

"Yep." Luke said while he climbed out of the car. "Better prepare yourself for a long walk."

The next morning found two very cranky young men at the breakfast table.

"Any idea what's wrong with the General?" Jesse asked while he got up to pour everyone coffee.

Luke nodded. "I took a look at it first thing this morning. Seems like a clogged carburetor, I tried to clean it out, and I think he'll drive again but no way we'll be racing it like this We have to replace it."

"Well we're done then." Bo said upset "No way we raise the money to buy one in time for the race."

"What clogged it then?" Nick asked while he feasted on Daisy's pancakes.

"Well that's the strange part about it. It was filled with red clay but I can't remember we've been anyway near Bronson Canyon lately. That's the only place you find that stuff."

As soon as Luke had mentioned the words 'red clay' he saw Bo's face fall and when he added Bronson Canyon, Bo seemed to be looking away and rubbed his face just a little bit to obvious.

"Did you go there?" Luke asked

"Well might be possible I pasted it shortly, two days a go." He said while he went trough his hair in a guilty gesture.

"What were ya doing there then?" Luke asked confused.

"Well nothing special, just driving around a bit." Bo said, but gave Luke a 'there's more but can't tell ya now' look. Luke understood this look perfectly, but didn't seem to mind Jesse or anyone else being in the room.

"Dang it Bo! When will you be starting to think with your head in stead of something else. You know you have to clean out the carburetor after you've been there. If you weren't so busy making out, we wouldn't have any problem now. "

Bo took a quick look at Jesse and saw his disapproving face. "I didn't say nothing about making out." He said not really convincing. "But I wouldn't be a Duke if I could do what you were saying." He added jokingly.

"That will be quite enough!" Jesse spoke very displeased. "We're having company."

Nick though, had the time of his life and looked at the arguing men, with a big smile. He already noticed that Bo and Luke were bickering at each other all the time, but that it was all just goofing around.

After breakfast the family took off for church. Bo, Luke and Nick took the General, who was driving again, but still made a concerning sound. Jesse and Daisy took the white pick-up. In the car Luke went on against Bo for awhile but had dropped the whole thing again even before they reached town. When Bo parked the car Nick didn't hurried himself to get out. He felt stupid walking around in Luke's old Sunday clothes, and he wasn't comfortable being in the middle of so many people. "Come on Nick. On this pace service will be over before we even get in." Luke encouraged him. "I was actually kinda hoping for that." Nick mumbled loud enough for Luke to hear. Luke shook his head and smiled.

As they walked in to the church Nick had this feeling everybody stared at him and when they found a bench to take place he knew it wasn't just a feeling.. He saw the looks of the townsfolk following him. "Can't I just wait in the car?" He whispered to Uncle Jesse.

"Just sit over there and it will be fine." Jesse whispered back in a calming voice. He saw how nervous the boy was. He put his hand on the boy shoulder as they shuffled along the benches and took their seats. Jesse first, followed by Nick, Luke and Daisy and Bo closed the line.

As the service began, Nick sunk in deep thoughts. His mind was going over the same things he had been thinking of last night in bed. What was it with this family that gave him this weird feeling? He had lived with a foster family that went to church ones. They had wanted him to come along but he had refused and locked himself up in his room. Now why had he agreed then on coming today? He didn't have to. Maybe it would have upset them and maybe they would have been angry, but they couldn't have forced him in to coming. The idea of the old man dragging him in to the church kicking and screaming seemed almost hilarious. He couldn't even imagine why they would take that much trouble in the first place. What was different then this time? Nicks thoughts were interrupted when everybody suddenly stood up. Nick just quickly did the same, not wanting to stick out even more then he already thought he did. The minister spoke some words that seemed to be some kind of prayer and after that everybody including the Dukes started singing. Nick was really amazed how everybody seemed to know the song. Most people held a hymnbook but that was really thick. Even if you had the words you had to remember the melody of all those songs. He became tired even of thinking about it. After the song everybody suddenly set down again.

Nick started thinking again. The stupid thing was he just didn't want these people to be mad at him. Normally spoken he wouldn't care what anybody thought of him. He wasn't staying anywhere for a long time anyway. Sooner or later he had to leave again so why go trough the trouble of obeying people against his own will? But this time was different, even as he knew his stay at the farm was only temporary, he didn't wanted the Dukes to dislike him.

A lot of songs, prayers, a lecture, two bible readings and one and a half hour later the service was over. "So what did ya think?" Luke asked him when the stood outside.

Nick shrugged "Didn't get a lot of it and it was quite long but the singing was okay I guess."

"Luke did you see Cooter anywhere?' Bo asked.

"Neh, don't think he's here, he can't sit still that long." Luke joked.

"Hmm to bad, I wanted to ask him about that carburetor."

"I do see somebody else though." Luke said while he nudged Nick in the arm.

Nick saw what the man meant and sighed.

"Want me to walk with ya?" Luke asked.

"Yeah better do that, think that man is capable of killing me otherwise." Nick said with an anxious expression.

Luke laughed and threw an arm around the boys shoulder in a comforting gesture as they walked up to the grocer. When they stood in front of the grocer Luke took his arm away and let Nick do his thing.

"Eh Mr. Williams." Nick said.

The grocer turned around and looked at the boy.

"Ow it's you again." He said on a crabby tone.

The way the grocer reacted at him, maid Nick feel rebelling again, but with Luke standing behind him he couldn't walk away anymore.

"I just wanted to apologize for trying to steel your stuff" Nick said a little forced. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Well that's a true thing." The man said still cranky. "But it's okay as long as it wont happen again." Mr. Williams looked shortly at Luke and than back at Nick. "Rosco told me you'all took him in. I think you would like to know I didn't press charges kid. I guessed you'd be better of with Jesse than in jail."

Nick hadn't even thought about that anymore, but was still relieved when he heard it. "Thank ya sir and it won't." "Well that's all good than, better run of now, I've got more to do today."

Nick nodded and walked away.

"What a sourpuss." Nick mumbled when he was on a save distance from the grocer.

"That sourpuss did save ya from a criminal record there." Luke said

"Yeah I know that and I'm glad about that but that doesn't make him Mr. sunshine."

Luke shook his head disapproving, but didn't say anything.

Nick and Luke joined the rest of the family again.

"Did ya settle your things?" Jesse asked.

Nick nodded. "He didn't press charges." The boy just said.

"Well that's very nice from Gilbert, guess you boys better see whether you can catch us some dinner than." Jesse said smiling.

"Ya bet!" Nick said enthusiastic and run of to the General Lee.

The grownups looked at him laughing.

"I won't be coming with ya." Bo said as Jesse and Daisy walked away to the pick-up.

"Why not?" Luke asked him amazed.

"Well I just talked to Becky-Lee and we're going out for a drive with her car." Bo said with a big smile.

"Driving huh." Luke said sarcastic. "Ain't you doing a lot of driving lately cus?"

"Well nothing wrong with that now is there?" Bo grinned.

"You just don't do anything stupid now and make sure her daddy doesn't kill ya."

"You don't worry about that." Bo said with a meaningful look while he started to walk over to Becky-Lee. "She's raised very liberal."

"You just watch out for red clay!" Luke yelled after him, but Bo just waved his hand in the air while he started running to the girl.

"Where's is Bo going?" Nick asked when Luke climbed behind the wheel.

"He eh..had another appointment." Luke just said. "No you just get of that backseat and drive shotgun up hear."

"Alright!" Nick called out and when he had taken place Luke drove of.

About ten minutes later they were sitting at the edge of the Hazzard fishing pond.

Luke had shown Nick how to cast the line and they were now both waiting for the fishes to bite.

"If Rosco or Enos shows up here be sure to let go of that fishing pole, cause you don't have a permit and they will fine ya for sure."

"Why are those guys after you'all so much?" Nick asked.

"That's kind of a long story." Luke said with a soft smile.

"Well were not going anywhere." Nick said, really wanting to hear the story.

Luke gave in. "All right then, but after that it's my turn to ask a question and you'll have to tell the truth then. Deal?"

Nick doubted for a moment, but his curiosity won. "Deal." He answered.

Luke thought for a while.

"Guess it all starts with Boss Hogg. That's our county commissioner. The man is more greedy than Ebenezer Scrooge and as fat as a baby elephant. The only thing he does all day is thinking of corrupt plans to make more money so he can eat even more."

Nick grinned wide.

"Well J.D. Hogg used to be uncle Jesse's partner in the moonshine business." Luke went on.

"Moonshine?" Nick asked.

Luke nodded. "Home made corn whiskey." He explained.

"But that's illegal right?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah it is, and when Bo and I got caught running shine Jesse had to make a promise to the government that he would never make a drop of shine ever again, so we would get probation." Nick couldn't believe his ears, and listened with big eyes.

"Now like I said J.D. Hogg used to be uncle Jesses partner. He was greedy even then ,but with the years it became worse and today that man will do everything for money even if it harms the town he's suppose to take care of. Now us Dukes believe you're aloud to fight the system if the system ain't doing what is suppose to do. That means we try to keep J.D's corrupt plans from happening and he doesn't like that at all."

"But what that has to do with the sheriff?" Nick asked confused.

"Well Sheriff Rosco used to be an honest lawman, but when his pension disappeared in the election rounds , he decided to become the best lawman money can buy and because Boss has the money he owns Rosco."

"Man!" Nick said impressed.

"Yeah you can say that." Luke smiled. "Enos is okay though. He's honest, but also loyal to his sheriff and to J.D. so that makes things difficult."

Nick was thinking. "Can I ask another thing?" He asked suspicious.

"Sure, shoot!" .Luke said.

"Well your Uncle Jesse was telling me about how you're suppose to obey the law, but now ya telling me ya'all used to run shine. How's that?"

Luke had expected that question. "Well running shine was a family tradition long before the U.S.A. government told us that we couldn't, and family is the most important thing, after the good Lord that is. Besides that, when we made whiskey, we did pay taxes on the corn."

Nick didn't know what that answer meant exactly, but Luke sounded really sure of his case so he took it as true.

"Alright my turn then." Luke said. "You told me and Bo you'd get used of your parents not being alive anymore, but that ain't true right?"

Nick looked away. "I don't know." He said truthfully. "It wasn't always fun. Dad used to drink a lot, that was why the shop didn't run and we never had any money. And mom never cared much for us. She was always out, don't know what she was doing but she was just always out. " He paused. "But dad had his good moments, he took Thom and me to a racetrack once so we could watch the horses. And at least Thom and me were together."

Luke nodded understanding. "You took care of your little brother a lot?" He asked.

"Yeah, had to most of the time."

Luke started to understand the boys' behavior a little better.

"My turn again right?" Nick asked.

"Right." Luke answered.

"Why are you and Bo and Daisy living with your uncle and not with ya parents."

"Well, Daisy's mom died giving birth to her and her dad and Bo's parents were in a car accident just like yours. The three of them were on their way to a family reunion. Brakes failed and the car drove of a cliff I believe. None of them survived. So uncle Jesse took them in when Bo was 5 and Daisy 6" Luke stopped talking and casts his line again.

"What about you?" Nick asked on a careful tone

Luke swallowed for a moment. "I was already living on the farm, at that moment. My mom was very sick at the time, something with her longs, and I wasn't that easy to handle back than. I guess ya could say I was quite an annoyance, always getting in to trouble. My parents decided it would be for the best if I would go and live with Jesse for a while. Well my mom died a couple of months later and some how not long after that my dad had a fatal hart attack. Guess he just couldn't live without my mom and he died from grieve."

"Weren't ya ever mad at your parents they had sent ya away?" Nick asked while he looked Luke in the eye.

"Sure I was." Luke answered. "I've been furious. Uncle Jesse was much stricter than my parents ever were and I didn't like the farm life at all when I first got here. I was mad at my parents, mad at Jesse, mad at everybody."

"But ya'all seem so thick right now." Nick said.

"Yeah we are, that's because although uncle Jesse might be strict on a lot of things, no matter what, he always loved us like we were his own and no matter how much we messed up he always was there for us when we needed him. He taught us right from wrong and the importance of family." It became quite for a moment.

"It took some work straitening me out sometimes though." Luke said laughing to lighten up the mood a bit. "Jesse was always there for that to."

Nick smiled softly he wanted to ask something else but at that moment something hauled hard at his fishing line. " Al right!" Luke said enthusiastic while he dropped his own pole and went standing behind the boy to help him. "Just reel her in nice and easy." Nick turned the reel as hard as he could and looked proud at his catch when he saw the fish coming out of the water. Luke took the fish and showed Nick how to unhook him. "Well done kiddo." He said "Guess we're eating bass tonight."


	4. Chapter 4

About an hour later Luke and Nick had filled their bucket with Fish and went home. Nick had been quiet for a while and Luke looked at him with a questioning look.  
"What's on your mind?" He asked.  
"Just thinking about church this morning." Nick replied.  
"You had a religious enlightenment?" Luke asked jokingly.  
"Nick shook his head. He didn't exactly know what enlightenment meant, but he knew there was nothing religious about what he was thinking.  
"What about it than?" Luke held on.  
"Just that everybody was looking at me, and I didn't know why."  
Luke sighed. He had saw it, but had hoped Nick didn't had noticed it.  
"Well there has been a lot of steeling taken place lately and this being a small town, when a shoplifter is caught, news travels fast. Everybody hoping to get there stuff back."  
"Ow." Nick said. "Why didn't they something then?"  
"Cause Enos already filled Daisy in on that last night and she called Jesse about it from the Boars Nest."   
Nick looked confused at the man behind the wheel.  
"Jesse figured things would become awkward for ya then this morning." Luke explained. "So he maid some phone calls last night when you were already gone to bed. He's been friends with most of the shopkeepers for quite sometime. He asked them to give ya a break and promised them you would give back everything ya still had."  
"But I don't have anything anymore, most of it was food and the rest of it has been used." Nick said a little panicking.  
Luke nodded. "Jesse figured so much, so he also promised he would have some shine hold back to compromise them if they whished. Jesse's shine is quite famous ya know."  
Nick didn't know what to say. Nobody had ever done a thing like that for him before.

"Luke?" Nick asked suddenly. "Do you know those caves near that river with that white bridge?"

Luke had to laugh about that vague description. 'I think ya mean the o'll Indian Caves. Yes I know them. Were not that far away from them as a matter of fact."

"Ya think we could stop there for a moment?"

"Yeah sure. Is there a special reason or are we just gonna catch up on our native history?"

Nick shook his head. "No not really, just to get some stuff I left there."

"You used to come there then?" Luke asked.

"Used to sleep there when it was cold."

Luke nodded and took a right turn of the main road.

Not much later the two of them walked along the river up to the caves.

"Which one of them is it?" Luke asked.

"That one." And Nick pointed to one of them.

"You do know bears use to sleep here do you?" Luke said joking.

Nick shook his head. "Never saw one, only thing I saw were people coming up here together, going in to the caves and leaving a couple of hours later. Don't know what they were doing there though, can't imagine it is fun just sitting inside there."

Luke had to keep himself from laughing out loud. "You remember seeing Bo here once maybe?" He asked with a full grin.

Nick frowned "No why." He asked confused.

"Just wondering." Luke replied still smiling from ear to ear.

As they walked up to the cave Nick had pointed out, Luke noticed there were fresh footprints walking in to the cave. Although normally lovers would leave some kind of mark by the entrance of the gave to let people no it was occupied Luke didn't wanna take any risk with the young boy who was with him. "Maybe you better wait out here for a sec pall." He said well standing in the opening. "I will go in and look for your bag."

"Why do I have to wait?" Nick asked offended.

"Just because!" Luke said harder then he intended, because he didn't knew anything better to say. "What I'll be looking for exactly?"

"Brown backpack and a sleeping bag." Nick said forced still upset he had to stay outside and not even new why. "There lying against the right whole not to far in to gave."

"All right just wait here then. I'll be right back."

Leaving the boy behind he walked in the cave. It was quite deep although his eyes got used to the dark he had trouble seeing clear. All of a sudden he heard a moving sound. "Anybody here?" He said in to the dark. There was no reply. "Just come to pick up some stuff some kid left here." He called out again. Again there was now reply. Luke got his lighter out of his pocket and snapped it on. He looked around but saw nothing and just as he told himself he had imagined the sound he felt something tapping his shoulder. He turned around and before he noticed what was going on he was watching the barrel of a gun. Two man with leather jackets and balaclava's were standing in front of him. "Guess ya took the wrong cave to look for your stuff now farm boy." The man holding the gun said, while he took the lighter from Luke.

"Guess you're right." Luke answered while putting his hands in the air were the man could see them. "I better get going again and leave ya two alone then." He said and wanted to walk outside again.

"Hold it farm boy!" The man said while aiming the gun more precise at Luke. "You just go and stand over there." And he pointed at the wall. "We wouldn't want you waiting us up when we come out now."

"Alright alright." Luke said calming the man down. "No need to get up set now, what ever ya want." Luke walked over to the wall. He saw that the second man held a sack that didn't looked liked a kids backpack, but at a money sack that was used for transporting money by truck. "Now I don't know what you nice men are doing here but I do know you won't find no trouble from me. Just do your thing and I won't tell nobody."

"Of course you won't." The second man said. "They have to find you first and by then we are long gone." He said while he bended over to get a rope from the floor. At the same time from the entrance of the cave sounded a sharp bang. The man with the gun looked up and Luke knew this was his chance. As quick as he could he kicked the gun from the hands of the guy and shoved it in trough the dark. The second man headed towards Luke, but just at the moment he took a swing at him, Luke ducked causing the man hitting his own partner. Luke gave the guy a hard push in the bag so he stumbled over and both man ended up on the floor. Knowing he was outnumbered he didn't stayed around to fight the guys any further but ran out of the cave as quick as he could, grapping the brown backpack, he had saw lying against the wall, on his way out. Nick had already started running ahead from the moment he saw Luke come his way and they arrived at the same time at the General. "What was that?" Nick asked panting with exhaustion.

"Don't know, but lets not stay around to find out, get in quick." They both jumped in the car and Luke took off.

"Ain't we gonna do nothing?" Nick asked.

"Sure we are." Luke said while he pulled the car of the road and parked it backwards in through some bushes. "We gonna call the sheriff."

Luke got the CB and called for Rosco.

"This is Luke Duke calling Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrain come in." He said but was not given any response.

"Luke Duke calling Sheriff Coltrain, Rosco are you there, this is a emergency, come in."

"This is Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, now this better be important Dukeboy."

"Rosco I just had a gun pointed at me by two guys with ski masks. Over."

"Now why would that be any of my concern. I've got more important things to do than caring about some Duke. You just probably made it up anyway."

"I didn't made it up, and if you don't care about me, ya might care about that money sack they were carrying. Over."

"Money sack oeh," Rosco reacted. "That sounds like reward money when I catch those crooks khee khee."

"Well if ya don't get here fast there won't be any money to reward ya for cause they will be long gone. Now I run in to them at the o'll Indian caves and if I'm correct they have to pass by me now any second at Choctaw Road. Just in front of Millers Bridge."

"Choctaw Road that's a 10-4. I'll be over there faster than Enos can say possumonagombush. I'm gone."

Luke shook his had and hung the CB back on his place. "And that is the only law we have around here." He said more to himself than anybody else.

"Now how do you know those guys will pass her?' Nick asked.

"Just a hunch." Luke said. "I didn't saw there car anywhere but I don't think they were on foot so if they had stashed it somewhere this is the only road they could've take, that is if there ain't driving 4-wheelers."

At that moment a light blue Sedan came driving by like it was chased by the devil himself.

"That must be them!" Luke called out. "Now Nick you get yourself at that backseat and stay low." He said while he drove the General on the road again and started to chase the Sedan.

"Why can't I sit up front?" Nick sat complaining.

"Cause I say so, now git!" Luke snapped.

"Well that ain't fair, I did saved ya bud in there didn't I." Nick said insulted but climbed over to the backseat anyway.

"How do ya mean saved my bud?" Luke asked confused while he took a very sharp curve that swung Nick over to the other end of the backseat.

"That bang that got those guys attention was me with firecrackers." He explained after he got himself up again. "Saw they had a gun at ya when I followed ya in. Guessed I had to do something to get you out." Nick said feeling very good about himself.

"Now don't you get to full of your self yet." Luke said. "And I thought I told ya to stay outside waiting for me."

"Well ain't ya glad I didn't" Nick said smiling.

Suddenly Luke saw a hand with a gun attached to it coming out of the Sedan pointing at them. "Duck!" He yelled just before two bullets just missed the car and one came trough the windshield. Luckily Nick obeyed this command better then the one's before and had thrown himself to the backseat just in time.

"How did ya get those fire crackers anyway?" Luke asked like there was nothing going on and they weren't just driving 85 miles an hour on some dusty back road. "I thought we let you empty your pockets completely.

Nick grinned. "Ya did, but I had a hole in my inside pocket ya missed and I didn't even got them at the grocery. I already had them."

"Duck!" Luke yelled again. And again three shots were fired from which two busted the back windshield.

"Darned!" Luke cold out. "If Rosco doesn't get here quick.." He said not finishing his sentence. "You don't happen to know how to shoot a bow and arrow now do ya?"

"No not really." Nick answered disappointed.

"Ah doesn't matter." Luke said. "The reinforcements are coming even before the sheriff does." Seeing Daisy and Bo driving behind him in his rearview mirror.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked while he got him self up to look trough the busted rear window."

"Would ya keep ya head down, before I put ya outside!" Luke exclaimed. Daisy drove Dixie along the General's left side making it possible for Bo to climb in the General. Nick didn't believed his own eyes.

"What an unexpected surprise." Luke said smiling. "Guess they run out of bullets or they would've shot ya within the second there." "Well they didn't." Bo replied grinning. "We heard ya call Rosco and thought ya could use some help."

"Well ya thought right their cus, think you could also pepper that guys tailgate."

"Ya bet I can, Nick pall, ya can hand me that bow there laying at your feet."

Nick did as he was told and Bo aimed at the Sedan in front of them. "Any idea on who I'm shooting at anyway?" He asked while he tried to keep the bow steady.

"Nope." Luke replied. "But I think they robbed some money truck and even if they didn't I don't take it kindly getting a gun put in my face."

"Can't argue that!" Bo said laughing and took a shot. The dynamite arrow got stuck in the ground just behind the car causing nothing more than a crater in the road Luke had to avoid quickly.

"Nice aim Bo." Luke said sarcastic.

"Well maybe if you were a better driver and kept that car steady I wouldn't miss." Bo fired back at him, while he took a new arrow.

"Just hit him now would ya please."

Bo aimed, let go of the arrow and hit the Sedan right in the left rear tire. "Yeehah!!!!!" Bo called out while the car flipped over whit a bang and ended upside-down at the side of the road.

Luke stopped the General just next to it and everybody got out of the car. Bo and Luke both pulled one of the guys, who were both still numbed from the crash they had made, out of their car and pushed them at against the car.

Daisy had joined them now and hold the shotgun, she took from the farm, aimed at the felons.

Bo looked in the backseat of the Sedan and reached for two white money sacks.

As he looked in them he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Holey crap." He called out. "This are all 1000 dollar bills."

And just at that moment they heard the sirens of Rosco's patrol car heading to them.

"Well that figures." Luke said. "Rosco is coming to collect the money after all the work is already done."

Rosco came driving in with a enormous speed and caused a humongous dust cloud when he hit his brakes but still slid 10 feet further almost slamming in to the General.

"Freeze!" He called out while he jumped out of his car holding his police gun in both hands but not seeming to aim at a particular person .

"I think they are already frozen Rosco." Bo said pointing at the two sedated man which were still covered by Daisy.

"Yeah we already did the dirty work for ya so why don't you just arrest them so we can go home." Luke added.

"No you Dukes just hush." Rosco said "Alright I admit, you might got them, but I would have done it myself if I was closer by, that's for sure. And ya bet I'm going to arrest these criminals. I know who they are, there has been a wanting notice on them since they robbed that truck from the larges bank in whole Georgia yesterday."

"Well I guess that solves that mystery." Bo mumbled.

"Now I'll take that khee khee." Rosco said while he reached for the sacks of money Bo was holding.

"Just wait a minute Rosco." Bo said holding the money back. "What about that reward money, that would be ours now wouldn't it, since we 're the one's that catch them."

Rosco pointed his gun at Bo. "You hand over that money now Bo Duke before I arrest you for obstructing justice. And you just forget about that reward money, It wouldn't surprise me if you were in on the whole scam and decided to sell your partners out." He said while taking the money from Bo.

"That's is the biggest load of bull I ever heard Rosco!" Bo yelled all riled up. "We just risked our lives to catch those guy's"

"Just forget about it Bo." Luke said trying to calm his cousin down. "That's what ya get when you got a jackass for a sheriff., let just get home. I had enough of this for today."

"Guess ya right cus." Bo mumbled cranky and everybody went back in their cars and drove home, leaving Rosco behind with the two truck robbers."

In the car and back at the farm Nick was more overexcited than a toddler that ate a box of sugar lumps. The cousins decided he could tell the story to uncle Jesse could he would keep interrupting them every ten seconds anyway.

"And than Bo blew the tire up, and the car flipped over." Nick told Jesse when the were all sitting on the front porch. Bo and Luke were cleaning the fish while Daisy prepared the vegetables and Jesse was adjusting some leather straps of Maudine the mule's bridle.

"So Bo and Luke dragged the guys out of their car." The boy went on. "They weren't really hurt I think but they were very much shook up and they didn't even try to run away anymore. They had two big sacks of money lying in the car and when the sheriff finally came he said they had robbed the biggest bank of whole Georgia and he arrested them."

"Sounds like ya'all had a busy day." Jesse said smiling.

"Ya bet!" Nick said stretching himself. The intense car chase had kind of wore him out, but he was still full of adrenaline. "You should of seen it." He said still very overexcited. "Bo was climbing trough that window like it was nothing and we were going at least 65 miles an hour at that time" Nick tried to show Jesse how Bo had climbed trough the window stepping from the porch step on the porch swing but he lost his balance and almost knocked a pan of green beans of the table.

"Well you just calm down now before ya hurt yaself." Jesse said in a firm voice. "Why don't use that energy of yours for something useful and look whether the chickens laid some eggs jet."

"Ah do I have to?" Nick reacted complaining. He rather stayed at the porch telling about the chase.

"Yes you have to, and if ya finished with that their are some vegetable plants that need watering, so ya could do that before supper to."

Nick pulled a cranky face. He knew he had agreed on doing chores on the farm, but he didn't like it.

"And without complaining please." Jesse added stern.

"Al right al right. I'm on my way al ready." Nick said and he jumped of the porch repeating Bo's rebel yell as loud as he could.

"Luke Duke! What were ya thinking taking that boy with ya on a car chase?!" Jesse shouted at his nephew when Nick had disappeared in the barn. "That boy is more hyperactive than a wound up monkey."

"Well it wasn't like I had a choice." Luke defended himself. "How should I know we would run in to those guy's?"

"Well you could have chosen not to follow that car and let the sheriff handle it. That you boys want to risk your neck pulling dangerous stunts like you do way to often that's your business, but ya can't include a kid like that."

"I know uncle Jesse." Luke gave in. "I didn't like it either, but ya know what happens if we let Rosco handle things. Then those crooks would still be running wild."

Jesse wanted to say something, but didn't cause he saw Nick coming out of the barn with an egg in both hands.

"Shouldn't we tell him he better get a basked so he can carry all the eggs at once?" Bo asked grinning.

Jesse shook his head. "Let him walk a couple of times. Maybe he will calm down a bit and still have a normal night sleep then."

That hope was vain though, cause even after his chores, Nick kept jumping and climbing of things and pretended to be shooting with bow and arrow all day. When he was getting bored with that he decided he wanted to try real shooting though and Luke could prevent him just in time from shooting a dynamite packed arrow at the barn.

At the end of the day bow and arrow were declared off limits, running in the house and jumping the couch was forbidden and still it took a very angry Uncle Jesse to get the boy in to bed that night. After Nick had refused 3 times to go upstairs because of not being tired Jesse threatened a whipping and although Nick wasn't sure whether the old man would put his threat in to action he decided he didn't want to find out and went upstairs.  
Luke went up to his room again a couple of minutes later to wish him good night.  
"You tired yet?" He asked smiling. While he sat down beside the bed.  
:Nick shook his head wild. "No not at all, but I don't want to get my hide tanned." He said a bit insulted.  
"Very smart decision, but ya should have listened to Uncle Jesse immediately ya know. He shouldn't have to ask ya three times."  
"Well I did go didn't I." Nick said moping.  
"Yes ya did, but something else now, I need ya to listen to me for a while." Luke said serious. " I guess I should tell you that what happened today ain't how it suppose to work. Normally a sheriff would do his job and their would be no need for civilians to go and chase truck robbers. What we did today was very dangerous and it wasn't the smartest thing to do."  
"But it was exiting." Nick said grinning.  
Luke couldn't help smiling. "Yeah you are right at that." He acknowledged.  
"So what are we going to do tomorrow?" Nick asked enthusiastic.  
"Well there is a lot of work that has to be done, but if we have some spare time I could teach ya how to ride a horse." Luke suggested.  
"You have horses?" Nick asked  
Luke nodded. "They are standing in the stables."  
"Awesome." Nick replied.  
"And I think Jesse or me will be making some phone calls to social services." Luke said serious again.

Nick's face fall. "What did I do wrong?" He asked panicking. "I did the chores didn't I? And I was quiet at the dinner table, now why do I have to leave already?"  
"Calm down, calm down." Luke said soothing. "You didn't do any thing wrong and you don't have to leave already, but we have to let people know you're staying with us. There might be still people looking for ya, you know. And with the state being your legal guardian we must have their permission, otherwise keeping ya here would be the same as kidnapping."  
'Ow." Nick replied, not really at ease though. "But what if they don't agree with it?"  
"Well, we have to see about that later then. No good worrying about that now, but you have to remember you have to go back one day. That's just how things are."  
" I know." Nick said a bit indifferent not wanting to let Luke know exactly how much he liked being at the farm. "But I just don't feel like it now."  
Luke gave him a smile. "Well we make some phone calls tomorrow and see how things are then. Now is time for bed and don't ya stay up to late thinking of flipping cars now ya hear." He said while he walked to the door.  
"Al right I won't, good night Luke."  
"Good night kiddo." Luke replied and he left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

After he had left the room Luke went immediately in to the barn to look after the General. Bo came in a couple of minutes later. "Doesn't look good does it?" He said while he put his hand on Luke's shoulder. Luke came up from under the hood. "No it doesn't. You felt him shake when we hit 90."

"Yeah I did, Good thing those guys were lousy drivers otherwise we'd never got them."

"So what we're going to do?" Luke asked with a depressing face.

"You asking me? You're always the man with the plan." Bo said grinning but with a light sound of desperation in his voice.

"Well I tried to think of something all day, but I don't have a clue how to get us a new carburetor before the race."

"And new windshields." Bo added. "Those bullet holes might be good for ventilation but those cracks sure don't make you're view any better."

"Well I suppose insurance will cover that. Or those guy's will have to pay for it, but it will take a while before that's settled, you can bet on that."

"What about looking for work in town?" Bo suggested

"And leaving Jesse alone with all the farm work? We need to start sowing any day now, before it becomes to cold.

"Yeah I know" Bo said a bit disappointed. "If Rosco ever looses that badge of him I don't know what I'm going to do with him" He said angry now. "With that reward money we could have got the General fixed in no time"

"Ease up now Bo." Luke tried to calm him down " We don't even know or there was a reward."

"Well if there was we're not gonna see a penny of it." Bo said moping "With no witnesses, Rosco is gonna make sure he gets the credits and the money."

Luke shrugged his shoulders "Well that's live in Hazzard, I think the only thing we can do is ask Cooter whether we can arrange some kind of installment payment."

"And hope he forgot we still own him money for those brake lines he replaced last time." Bo added while he leant against the car.

After he had put some screws back in place Luke closed the hood and looked at Bo.

"Ya know, when I think of all the work the General needed lately I'm doubting about letting you drive it from now on." He said irritable. "You're pushing him all the time."

"Well good thing you don't got anything to say about that then" Bo said grinning while they walked out from the barn. "The car is half mine ya know."

"Yeah and half Cooter's if we don't watch it." Luke said sarcastic.

"I still think we should go to Rosco and claim that reward. We could always try"  
"Yeah we could." Luke said not really enthusiastic. "Bye the way, how was your drive this afternoon?"  
Bo almost maid a Rosco kind of giggle and there appeared a stupid smile on his face.

"Now sure you don't wanna hear no details." He said while he leant against the porch.

"No please save me." Luke acknowledged "I have to say though, you hanging around the same girl for three days in a row, that's a record."

He wasn't even joking.

"Four day's ." Bo corrected him. "She's the girl I took to Bronson's Canyon."

Bo saw the doubting look on Luke's face.

"Well she is nice, smart and very pretty." He defended himself. "She does a lot of volunteering for the church, she's thinking about going to college and she makes great brownies for that matter."

"You thinking of showing her around here anytime soon?" Luke asked with a frown. He was a bit surprised about the way Bo was talking about this girl. Normally they didn't made a lot of effort to get to know the girls they dated. He knew he didn't knew a lot about the other girl that joined them that night at the Boars Nest.

Bo shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure about that yet, maybe. Just don't start about it 'round Uncle Jesse would ya please." He said referring to earlier that morning. "Ya know how he thinks about stuff like this."

"He doesn't have to!" Jesse's voice sounded sharp from in side the living room. Apparently they had been talking louder than they had thought and didn't paid a lot of attention to the open door.

"I know more than I would like to about the both of you chasing girls since you were thirteen!"

The boys looked at each other.

"Ya think that man misses one thing that's going on around here?" Luke said a lot softer now.

Bo shook his head. "Nope, he never did I think."

Sighing the cousins walked in to the house.

"If we start getting these Christmas catalogues any earlier they'll be coming on the Fourth of July." Jesse mumbled while he was going through the mail.

"Why don't just throw them away? Not like we ever use them." Luke said.

"I already know what you're gonna give me." Bo said while he let himself fall down on the couch.

"Same thing I give ya every year, and you give me every year." Luke added

"The annual edition of 'NASCAR-moments of the year'! Bo and Luke said at the same time and ended op laughing out loud.

"Well maybe we should get more original than." Bo joked.

"You boys know what to do tomorrow?" Jesse asked while nudging Bo against the legs to remove his feet from the couch.

"Guess that barn needs finishing and we should start plowing if we want to sow anytime soon." Luke replied.

Bo pulled a tired face. They had made so many long days behind that plough, he still hated the word even though they had a tractor now.

Jesse nodded. "I also asked Otis-Jay Harkins to come over tomorrow afternoon. Maudine is limping a bit and that man can work miracles with animals."

"Ain't he got kids Nick's age?" Luke asked.

Jesse thought for a moment. "I believe he does have two boys, one 11 and the other 12 years old. Both singing in the choir"

"Maybe you could ask him to bring them along. Might be nice for Nick to have some company his own age."

"Well wouldn't know why not. You told the boy we're going to make some phone calls tomorrow?"

"Yeah, he immediately got more nervous than a trapped rattlesnake. Don't think social services has a positive ring to him. "

"Well he's free to stay for a while, but he has to go back someday." Jesse said while he grabbed a book and sat down in the rocking chair.

"Shouldn't we get him back were he came from as soon as possible?" Bo asked. "Before he get used of being here I mean."

Luke stared in front of him with a frown on his face. "Think we're a little late for that." He said. "So those couple of days won't make a whole lot differences then."

"Might it be you who's getting used of the boy being here?" Jesse asked in a gentle voice.

Luke went with his hand trough his hair "Well I can't deny being fond of the kid." He said a bit apologizing. "He's difficult but he had his share of trouble to make up for that, and I don't think he means it all bad."

"Well he is funny." Bo said grinning. "If he doesn't almost blow up the barn."

"Or uses the couch as a trampoline and almost breaks every darn thing in this living room." Jesse added.

"Or manages to rip his clothes within two days." Daisy said while she walked in with a basket of laundry, and showed them the hole in Luke's old shirt.

"Or makes a discussion out of every darn thing ya tell him to do, I know." Luke acknowledged. "But like ya said it's easy getting used of having him around."

Jesse looked at his boys with a soft smile. Bo getting serious about a girl and Luke worrying about this kid as he did. Would the day finally have come his boys started to grow up?

"Anybody in for checkers?" Bo asked while he jumped from the couch. "Looser does the dishes tomorrow." Luke replied and also came up from his seat.

"Well better prepare yourself for some work then." Bo said grinning while he punched his cousin playful in the ribs if as he made some kind of boxing combination and got the checkerboard out of cabinet."

"Don't get ahead of yaself there cus." Luke said grinning while he grabbed Bo in some kind of wrestling clutch. Before Jesse could say anything Luke threw Bo over the couch, causing the couch to flip over and Bo ended up on the floor behind it. Checker pieces were all over the floor.

Jesse sighed. How could he even have thought about those two growing up.

"You alright Bo?" The old man asked while he got up from his chair.

"Yes sir." Bo said grinning while raised his head above the couch and shook it to lose the confusion.

"Well get up then and make sure this mess is gone before I'll get back or you'll both have it." He said heated. "Worse enough having one teenager in the house again, can't have the two of you behaving like one again."

"Yes sir." The boys said serious but they had trouble to keep them selves from laughing. Jesse left the living room and took his book with him to the porch. Luke helped Bo to get up and they collected all the pieces from the floor, so they could start their game.

The next morning after breakfast Jesse started to make the phone calls. Because Nick, who didn't wanted to miss a word, kept hanging around him in a nervous kind of way, Jesse decided to send the boy out with Bo to feed the animals, so he could have a normal conversation.

Jesse first called the social service department in Albany, where Nick had told he was from. The people working there found his file but Mrs Walker, the social worker who handled the case as the woman on the phone called it, was out for a couple of days. She gave Jesse the phone number of the orphanage Nick had stayed.

The person he reached there was very glad to hear Nick was okay, but also told Jesse it wasn't the first time the boy had took of. She advised him to bring Nick to the local orphanage until Mrs. Walker would be back and they could make the transfer.

Jesse didn't felt like that so he phoned the Hazzard orphanage and explained the whole situation. Normally families had to be screened carefully before being aloud to take in a child, even if it was for a short unofficial stay. But Hazzard being Hazzard and everybody knowing everybody Mr. Crane, head of the orphanage and old classmate of Jesse, didn't saw a problem when Nick stayed at the farm a little longer.

After lunch Luke kept his promise and showed Nick the horses. Nick had been helping out with chores all morning, not because he had to, but because he had nothing else to do. First he had been feeding the chickens, goats, and pigs. After that he had helped Bo sanding the barn and just before lunch he had driven the tractor with Luke. Well, Luke drove it and he sat next to him watching. Although nobody had obligated him to do anything, he was glad Luke took him to the horses and he didn't have to do no chores anymore. Luke had saddled Sheila, the smallest of the two horses, and showed Nick how to get on it. "Just put ya left foot in the stirrup like this." He said while showing how. "And then pull yaself up. Remember to keep ya right leg stretched and high otherwise you'll end up kicking the horse instead of swinging over it."

"Like this?" Nick asked when he put his foot in the stirrup.

"Ya have to turn ya left side more to the horse, instead of standing right in front of it." Luke explained and turned the boys shoulders. "Otherwise you kick her in the stomach and she'll be walking before ya even get up."

Nick followed the instructions hew as given, pulled himself up, swung his right leg over the horse and sat straight up in the saddle.

"Very good." Luke said enthusiastic. "Now just kick her gently with your heels and she'll be walking."

"This is awesome." Nick called out, while he got the horse to walk.

Luke told him how to hold the rein, how to steer, how to use his legs and how to sit.

"How do I make her go faster?" Nick asked after while when he got bored of just going at footpace.

"Just spur her on with ya heels, but not to hard. Don't want ya to fall of on your first ride."

"I won't." Nick said convinced and gave the horse a firm kick and the horse started to walk faster

"Sure ya won't, but just keep her like this ya hear."

Nick had got exited though and spurred the horse on again, which immediately went in to trot. Luke tried to catch the rein but he was to late. "Ease her up now Nick, that's enough, just pull the rein and lean backwards." He called out, but Nick was having to much fun and didn't wanted to quit yet. This being the first time he sad on a horse though he couldn't manage to keep his legs still properly and this time not on purpose he kicked the horse again and she broke in to a gallop. This was to much for Nick to handle and within a few seconds he lost his balance and fall of the horse. Luke hurried up to him. "You alright?" Luke asked when he kneeled down to him. Nick sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah think so." He said still a bit shocked. "Man, she suddenly went of like that." He didn't really understand what had happened.

"Well I told ya to slow her down." Luke said while he pulled the boy back on his feet. "Why didn't ya?"

Nick shrug his shoulders. "Guess I thought I could handle it."

"Well ya guessed wrong." Luke said firm. "And you should've listened. You're just lucky you didn't break anything.

"Well can I try again?" Nick asked with non-stop enthusiasm.

"No, I think we're done for today. I don't put ya up their if I can't trust ya to listen."

Nicks face fall and he stared at Luke for a moment with out saying a word.

"Ah please?" He asked then. "You can trust me, I'll do anything ya say, I swear. Please let me try again, please."

Luke held on to his decision though. "You can show me that next time then." He said stern but not unkind. "For today we're done. Ya can help me bring her back to the stables though if ya want."

Nick doubted what he should do. He could walk away upset or he could go and help Luke.

It took them about ten minutes, to bring the horse back to her stable and free her from her riding gear. "Who are they?" Nick asked when they were walking up to the house and he saw two boys his age standing next to a man who was talking to Uncle Jesse.

"That is Mr. Harkins and his boys, Uncle Jesse asked him to take a look at Maudine."

They walked up to the large black man dressed in blue overalls and his two kids who were wearing striped t-shirts and jeans.

"Good afternoon Mr. Harkins." Luke said neighborly while he shook the man's hand.

"Good afternoon Luke." Otis-Jay responded with a friendly smile. "And you most be Nick" He said while he offered Nick his hand. Nick nodded without saying anything and accepted the man's hand.

"Well this are my boys Randy and Max."

"Hi I'm Randy." The larges of the two boys said.

"And I'm Max." The second boy with a green baseball cap followed his example.

"Wanna come with us to the lake? We've got a tree house there."

"Yeah sure." Nick said enthusiastic. "I mean eh….I think…." And he looked at Uncle Jesse and Luke. "That's okay right?"

"Sure it is." Jesse said. "Just make sure you're back in time for supper. Say about 7 o'clock."

"We've got our bikes in the back of the truck. You've got a bike?"

Nick looked again at Luke with a questioned look.

"We might have one stashed back in the barn, but I'm not sure whether it's still running. Must be about 6 years since it's used." Luke said. "I'll go look for ya."

As Luke walked in to the barn Nick saw the boys were making up their minds about him.

"Are you going to our school?" Max asked.

"No, I'm not going to school." Nick mumbled. He was afraid they would think of that as strange so he added: "I'm helping around on the farm." His voice sounded determined like it was his own decision.

Jesse smiled. "Yeah you sure worked hard today." He said giving the boy a compliment.

"Well when you are going to school you'll probably be in my class, you're 11 right?"

"Yes I am." Nick said not wanting to explain he wasn't sure for how long he would stay in Hazzard. Mr. Harkins saw Nick felt embarrassed talking about this so he changed the subject.

"I still got that peaces of corrugated sheet laid back boys. You want me to bring it over bye the tree house so ya can use it for the roof?"

Randy seemed to be thinking. "Well actually no grown-ups are allowed." He said sincere. "But I think we can make an acceptation ones."

The man laughed. "I practically build half the house for them." Otis-Jay said grinning to Jesse. "And now I need an acceptation to come near it. You figure that."

At that moment Luke came out with Bo's old BMX bike. "Well you can ride it, but if ya want to use it more often we have to fix her up. She really needs oiling."

"Well ain't it good we didn't give that thing away then." Jesse said.

Nick took the bike from Luke and looked at it. It was really dirty and it maid a rattling sound but he loved it.

"So why don't you boys get of and have some fun than." Mr. Harkins said.

"You remember what time you're supposed to be back here?" Luke asked.

"Yes I do. At 7.00, can we go now?" Nick said in a bit of a bored tone.

"And what's the time now?"

Luke asked without answering the question.

Nick wanted to reply but found out he couldn't... "Eh…I don't know." He said with a disappointed face. "I don't got no watch."

"So how did ya figure to be back on time than?" Luke asked.

"I don't know, didn't think of that yet. Guess we have to watch the sun than, I now where it

supposes to be at six. It's at the right side of the lake then."

Luke smiled. He hadn't think of the boy to be that inventive, but he didn't trust Nicks boy scout capacities that much yet. "Well better take this anyway." He said while he handed Nick his own watch. "You can check whether the sun is right to day."

Nick took the watch and looked at it with big eyes. "Ya sure?" He asked doubting. "What if I loose it?"

Luke took the boys wrist and helped him to put the watch on. "Just keep it on your wrist and nothing can happen to it." He said reinsuring "Just go now and have fun."

Nick seemed to be doubting for just a moment but when he saw Randy and Max standing ready with there bikes he decided not to worry about the watch any longer and they took of.


	6. Chapter 6

"So you live here all your lives?" Nick asked while they rode their bikes to the lake.

"Yep, we're both born here." Randy replied. "What about you, we never saw ya before."

"I just arrived here two weeks a go. I'm born in Albany."

"So you're just staying over with the Dukes or something?" Max asked confused.

"Yeah something like that." Nick replied mumbling.

Randy also noticed now Nick didn't like talking about himself.

"Well ya probably like it here. You won't get bored that's for sure. There is always something happening here in Hazzard and especially when ya living with the Dukes."

"Why's that?" Nick asked curious. He thought this to be an opportunity to find out more about his caretakers.

"Well cause the Dukes always end up chasing bad guys." Max said grinning. "You have to see them drive and if they do the whole town is one big mess."

"Yeah I heard yesterday they were chasing bank robbers, but I'm not sure whether that's true or not." Randy said exited.

"It is true." Nick replied. "I was in the car when they did, but it were no bank robbers it were truck robbers. Didn't guess it was a daily thing for them though."

"You were there?" Max cried out while he looked at Nick with excitement. "How did it go?"

Nick enjoyed being the centre of attention now and told them the whole story, full of pride until the arrived at the tree house.

In town, Daisy was doing grocery shopping. She had decided Nick couldn't keep walking around in Luke's old clothes and she picked him up some new shirts, jeans and underwear. After that she went in to the grocery store to get some ingredients for tonight's supper and she ended with some window-shopping in front of Mrs. Lambert dress shop.

"Are you gonna buy a new dress Daisy?" She heard suddenly from behind her. As she turned around she saw Enos standing, strange enough without his uniform, but in civilian clothes.

"Oh Enos, it's you" She reacted surprised. "No I'm not buying anything, I love them all but they are way to expensive and I only wear them on Sundays."

"Well I like what you're wearing now just fine." Enos said with a innocent smile.

"That's nice of ya Enos." Daisy said. "But what happened? Why ain't you in uniform? Boss Hogg didn't fire you did he?"

"No he didn't don't worry." The deputy reassured her. "Today is my annual day off, so I'm just doing some shopping like you."

"Don't you wanna do something more fun on your day-off? You only got one each year." Daisy said grinning.

"Well now ya mention it." And Enos cheeks turned red. "I would be honored if ya would join me for ice-cream in the park. If ya have the time that is."

"I would love to Enos." Daisy said. "Just let me put this stuff in my car and I'm yours."

As he heard that Enos blushed so much his face looked like a tomato, but luckily Daisy had already turned a round and didn't see it.

Hazzard Park was nothing more than a medium size lawn with some wooden benches, a couple of trees, an a small pond with goldfish.

"I just love those goldfish," Daisy said while they sat down on a bench close to the pond enjoying there ice-cream.

"Me too, they look really happy with al those colors. I used to have one when I was young, but it jumped out of his bowl, all by himself."

"Ah that's sad." Daisy said with a soft smile.

"Well I'd always rather wanted a dog." Enos said grinning.

"I didn't saw ya in church Sunday, where were ya?" Daisy asked.

"I was visiting my sister, you know the one that moved to Atlanta. Her youngest had a recital and I promised the girl last time I saw her I would come."

"Well that's cute, which instrument she plays?"

"The violin, and she's quite good at it too. She got that from her Mom. Lizzy is very musical too.'

"How is Elisabeth anyway?" Daisy asked "I didn't see her since she moved to Atlanta and that looks likes ages ago."

"Well I think it's four years ago she married Jake." Enos said thinking. "Yes two years after high school. She is doing great though, they're very happy together and they've got beautiful kids."

Daisy and Enos both became quiet. They remembered high school like it was yesterday. Luke, Cooter and Enos had been sitting in the same grade. Enos and Cooter came over at the farm a lot to do homework together. Well at least that was what they wanted Jesse to believe, cause most of the time the boys were just exchanging car magazines and thinking of there dream cars they would be driving when they had grown-up. And Enos had come just as much to see Daisy as he did to see Luke. Sometimes even more. But he never had the guts to say a something to her, not even talking about having a conversation.

Suddenly Enos put his hand slowly on the hand Daisy had resting on her knee. "You remember that time Luke and me were doing our English homework and he was laughing at me when you came in?"

Daisy thought back. "Yeah I think so, but you threatened to tell Uncle Jesse about him ditching biology class if he told anyone."

"Yeah well we had to write a poem and Luke found my first draft."

"Well what was so funny about it, that it almost knocked Luke of his chair?" She asked curious.

"Well…eh." Enos stuttered "I wrote it about you."

"Ooh Enos." Daisy said in a caring voice while she put her other hand on top of Enos's.

"I liked you a lot back then." Enos confessed. "And I still do."

Daisy didn't knew what came over her. Enos had made insinuations like that before only never as open as he did now. Not knowing why, but somehow, at that spot, Daisy dropped her doubts and gave in to the thoughts that had been haunting her the last couple of days. She reached over to the deputy sitting besides her and grabbed him gently by the lapel of his jacket when she gave him a long kiss on the lips.

"I'm eh…I'm almost afraid to ask." Enos stuttered when he looked at Daisy's laughing eyes "But does that mean you wanna give us a chance?" He asked whit a hopeful look on his face.

"Well if you wanna." Daisy said smiling.

Enos jumped from the bench and lifted Daisy up in his arms. "Of course I want that." He said while he spun her around.

"Enos put me down!" Daisy cried out laughing.

"Well you can't blame me Daisy." He said smiling when he put her feet back on the ground. "I want to hold you like that for more than 10 years."

"Well what about just walking me trough the park? Would that be okay too sugar?" She asked.

"It sure will." Enos replied enthusiastic, and he wrapped his arm around her waste and walked her through the park, hoping that everybody could see them.

In the mean time the boys arrived at the tree house.

"We build it together with our dad." Randy explained. "We wanna make a rope at the point of that branch and we can swing ride in to the lake."

"Good idea!" Nick said. "How long did it took ya to build it?"

"Not that long." Max said. "Dad is really handy. Grandpa was a carpenter, so he wanted dad to follow him up at that and taught him a lot about woodwork."

"So is your dad is a carpenter?" Nick asked.

"No." Randy said laughing. "Used to be for awhile but dad likes working with his hands but not al the time. He went to college in the evenings and now he's a Vet, that's why Mr. Duke called him to look at your mule today."

"Ow, that figures." Nick said, wondering why he didn't think of that himself.

"Come lets go upstairs." Max said end he grabbed the rope ladder.

The tree house was decorated with old pillows and small wooden caskets.

"We're still working on it at the inside. Mom said she has some old table we can put up here and dad said he would fix us some chairs."

"Well it's looking awesome already." Nick said impressed.

"Look this is the best part." Max said and he lifted one of the floorboards. A small space appeared and he pulled out a baseball clove and ball. "We can hide all our things here."

Randy looked a bit disapproving as his younger brother revealed their secret, but then also lifted a board and pulled out his baseball bat. "Normally we never show this to anyone." Randy said. "But I guess since ya living with the Dukes you're alright and we can trust ya."

."You can trust me." Nick acknowledged. "I won't tell nobody I swear." he said honestly en gave a sad grin. "And even if I wanted to, I don't know nobody around here to tell it to, so."

Randy looked at him up and down for one more time. "Well you've got us now as your friends." He said smiling, while closing the secret hiding space again. "Wanna play ball?"

Nick beamed of pride en joy. Friends! The word echoed through his head en with an enthusiastic smile he replied: "Definitely!"

After a while the boys where fully wrapped in their game. It wasn't hard to notice though that Nick hadn't played a lot of baseball before.

"Men, no offence but you really suck." Max said with a big smile when Nick struck out for the fifth time in a row. "Don't they play baseball in Albany?"

Nick just smiled a bit, he knew he was very bad, but he didn't mind. He walked back, grabbed the ball from the ground and threw it back to Max who was pitching.

"We can do something else ya know." Randy suggested. "If you don't like this we can go swimming or something."

"Neh don't be crazy." Nick said grinning. "It's way to cold to go swimming. Bye the way, I might suck at this, but I like it, and the next one I won't miss, you watch, so don't worry about it." "All right.' Randy said shrugging his shoulders. "Whatever you want well let him have it Max." Max tapped his cap and prepared to throw the ball. Nick raised himself and watched the ball in Max's hand. As he saw the ball coming towards him he grabbed the bat firmer and swung. Nick was surprised to see he actually had hit the ball and he followed it with his eyes through the sky. He saw how the ball flew through the sky way further than were Randy had been standing to catch it. "Well, he did hit it." Randy said laughing.

Max shook his head. "Still think we better go swimming or something."

"Alright, alright, we'll go swimming but don't blame me as we're all ice cubes when we get home." Nick said laughing. "I'll get that ball first." Nick ran to the ball while the other boys gathered their belongings and walked up to the lake.

The baseball seemed to had rolled a whole lot further then Nick had expected, cause when he

walked up to where the threes started to gather he still hadn't found it. He searched the ground carefully 'cause he would hate it if he had lost it. Suddenly, just when he wanted to give up two boys appeared in front of him. One of them wore dark jeans, a white shirt and had his hair in a short tale. The other wore a blue cap, black and white army pants and a black t-shirt. They were obvious much older then him and Nick couldn't help being impressed by their appearance. "Lost something?" The boy with the cap asked and threw him the ball. "Eh yeah thanks." Nick replied while he caught the ball in a clumsy sort of way.

"You're new here ain't ya?" The boy went on. "Never saw ya before."

"Yes, eh no I mean I'm just staying here for a while." Nick stuttered.

The boy in the white shirt seemed to find the whole scenario very funny and grinned but didn't say a word.

"Alright, so you are new. Bet ya, you don't know much people her then do ya?"

Nick didn't really want to talk with this guys but he had a feeling they wouldn't just let him walk away. "No not really." He said short while observing the boys carefully. They didn't seem really unfriendly, at least the cap didn't, But still there was something that made Nick nervous.

"While my name is Jake and this is my friend Paul. If ya like we could show ya around, being good neighbors and all."

Nick shuck his head. "Can't do that, I'm hanging out with them." And he pointed at Randy and Max who were waiting by the lake.

"Are that friends of yours?" Paul asked in a critical voice.

"Well yeah, that is Randy and that is Max. We were just playing some ball, I guess if ya want ya can join us."

Paul had to laugh again, but Nick really didn't understand what was funny.

"No that wouldn't be possible." Jake explained. "You are new around here, so I don't blame ya for not knowing some things, but ya have to watch with who you're hanging out ya know. There are good people to have as your friends and there are bad people and those two just ain't good."

Nick looked at Jake with a very confused face. He didn't get anything of what the boy was saying His new friends hadn't been anything else but nice and fun to hang out with so what was this guy talking about?

"If ya come in to town with us we show you who you should have as friends and who ya better keep away from."

Nick was getting enough of this conversation and just wanted to go back to the lake.

"Thanks, but no thanks I think I'm just staying here, were having fun. Maybe I see you guys around another time and we can hang out then."

Jake grinned. "Sure, but don't say we didn't worn ya." He nudged Nick in the arm just a bit to hard to feel friendly and turned his back to the boy. "Come Paul we're out of here."

As the boys took of Nick returned to the lake. When he joined his friends again he was given a pretty angry look by Randy. "What were ya doing talking to those guys?" He asked with disgust in his voice.

"They found the ball." Nick explained. "But they asked me exactly the same thing about ya'll. Are you in some kind of fight or something?" Nick asked

"They are jerks." Randy told him. "Dad calls them racist, mom says they just raised bad, but I think there just assholes."

"They wrecked my bike last year." Max said. "So dad went to there dad to pay for the costs it had take to fix it up again. Well, don't know what happened but I'd never saw dad as mad as when he came home that day. Mom had to bring him a brandy to calm him down."

"O didn't know that." Said Nick still a bit confused. "Well they asked me whether I wanted to come with them, but I said no, because I wanted to stay with ya guys."

"Bet, they said ya shouldn't hang out with us right?" Randy said.

Nick looked away. "Well, eh…yeah but I didn't listen to them, so that's cool right?."

"Yeah, that's cool enough." Randy said with a smile.

"Can we finally go swimming then?" Max asked in an inpatient voice. "Otherwise we have to go home already."

"Last one in the lake is a chicken!" Nick called out. Randy and Max followed his example and as quick as they could stripped down to there underwear and ran in to the lake. Screaming because of the cold water they kept slapping there arms around them selves and splattering water to each other. It didn't took them long though to get used to the water and within a couple of second splattering water turned in to a huge mud fight in which every man was on his one.

Later on Mr. Harkins came around to drop of the peaces of corrugated sheet. Because it was already half past six he offered to bring Nick back to the farm. Nick glad fully accepted, cause he hadn't be sure or he could have found his way back. Because they were still quite messy and covered with mud, the boys had to sit in the back of the truck with their bicycles, but they loved it. Around 6:45 Nick arrived at the farm again. When they split up they agreed to meet at the tree house around 4 in the afternoon t

hat next day, to work on the roof together.

When Nick walked in to the kitchen Daisy was preparing dinner. She was standing behind the stove, with her back to the door, but without watching she could hear it was the young boy who entered the kitchen. Nick let himself fall down on one of the chairs at the kitchen table and looked with hungry eyes at the stove. "You're hungry sugar?" Daisy asked without looking.

"Yeah very, what we're having?"

"Potatoes, carrots and fried chicken. Is that okay with ya?" She replied laughing

"Definitely!" Nick said.  
Daisy turned around and looked at him. "Sweetheart what have you been doing?" She called out kind of amazed when she saw his wet hair, sticky clothes and the mud on his face."

"We've been swimming in the lake." Nick said with a big smile.

"Swimming are you crazy? It's the beginning of October, ya can't be swimming no more now."

"Well it was kind of cold in the beginning, but you get use to it."

"Yeah sure, and ya gonna be sick in the morning if ya don't watch it. Better get yourself cleaned up ya here, supper is ready in about ten minutes."

"Alright, but don't start without me." He shouted while running to the bathroom.

When Nick told at supper what had happened at the lake that afternoon, he almost thought he heard Uncle Jesse swear for the first time.

"If people wouldn't be so da.n intolerant with each other, this world could be a lot a nicer place for everyone." The old man said from the bottom of his heart.

"Better avoid does guys kid." Bo said. "They're nothing but trouble that's for sure."

"Just hope they won't come back tomorrow when we're working at the tree house." Nick said with his mouth stuffed with carrots.

"Wouldn't worry about that to much if I were ya." Luke reassured him. "Sure it will be fine."

"Uncle Jesse, I asked Enos for supper tomorrow, that's ok right?" Daisy asked while she filled up Nick's plate again.

"Well sure it is. I'd never denied any guest at my dinner table, and definitely not Enos. He's been here so often we can't even call him a guest no more."

"You've been seeing an awful lot of that guy lately." Luke said intrigued. "Anything ya should tell us?"

Daisy couldn't help turning red. "I don't have to tell you anything Luke Duke. Who I see, how many times is none of your business."

"Sure it is." Bo said grinning. "We're your cousin's right, we're supposed to keep an eye on you. So tell us, 'cause if he's getting obtrusive we're going to arrange a heart to heart with our dear deputy."

Luke couldn't help laughing out loud. "Enos obtrusive! That will be the day. That man is still the oldest virgin of Hazzard, I'll bet ya that."

"Boys, that's enough." Jesse said firmly. "Daisy is old enough to make her own choices about who she's seeing and who not."

"Thank you Uncle Jesse." Daisy said sincere. "And for your information." She snapped at her cousins. "Enos didn't do much more than holding my hand while walking threw the park."

"So you are seriously seeing him!" Bo called out.

"Sure became time for it. That boy had a crush on you since 7th grade." Luke added.

'But please don't tell him I told ya'll already." Daisy said begging. "I promised him he could ask you for permission first Uncle Jesse, before we told anyone else."

"Well Enos doesn't have to ask for my permission, he got it already!" Jesse said with a smile. "You have that boy dangling for way to long now. I'm very happy for ya honey"

"I know that Uncle Jesse, but ya know Enos. He wouldn't never take me anywhere without you're permission."

"Well that's why I like him that much." Jesse joked.

"It will be a very special dinner then tomorrow." Bo said grinning. "Better get our tuxes out Luke."

"O boys please, you're not gonna give him a hard time do you? You know how nervous he can get."

Luke decided they had teased her enough for one night and gave her a reinsuring look. "Sure we won't. We're happy for ya you know that and we won't give Enos a hard time we promise."

Nick had followed the whole scenario with big eyes. He was really curious now about that Enos-guy, that was for sure.

After dinner Daisy took of to the Boars Nest and Bo and Luke were doing their evening chores.

Nick had done the dishes with Jesse and was now looking for something to do. He wandered around the farm a bit to explore the surroundings. As he came along the barn his attention was drawn by the General Lee. He walked up to the orange car and tried to hop in just as smooth as Bo and Luke had done so many times. His legs though, were much to short and he had to swing his right leg twice before he could hook it threw the window. After he pulled himself in and settled himself at the driver's seat he started to feel really big. Man what an awesome car this was. He looked at the keys which the boys had left in the car. If he just turned them a bit he knew the radio would go on. As he turned the keys he saw lights flicker and he searched for a radio station where they played some music. While he grabbed the wheel he thought back about the car chase that day before. He pictured himself chasing the truck robbers with Bo besides him with the bow and arrow. "Watch it they're shooting at us!" He cold out his imaginary shotgun driver. Totally wrapped in his game he let his hands slight over the stirring wheel just like he was taking some nasty curves and grabbed the CB "This is Nick Taylor, calling Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane." He said in his best Luke impersonating voice. "Sheriff are ya there, cause I'm chasing two truck robbers on Choctaw Road and they are shooting at us, better come out here to cuff 'm and stuff 'm."

"Guess we have to take care of this ourselves Bo" He went on after a couple of second. "You think ya can pepper that guy's tailgate?" As he saw Bo in his imagination hanging out of the window with the bow and arrow he decided the felons where shooting again. "Duck!" he shouted. While ducking under the steering wheel himself he accidentally bumped against the claxon. A loud Dixie horn scattered through the barn. The noise startled him for second but almost immediately he continued his game. Moving his hands wild alongside the wheel he was taking curve after curve. Suddenly he thought to himself the game would be al lot more real if he could here the engine of the car running. After hesitating

a moment he twisted the keys fully and the engine started to roar. With his attention completely focused on the car keys Nick hadn't seen Bo and Luke, alarmed by the sound of the horn, come running towards him. As he looked up he saw both man, each standing at one side of the car, not looking to happy.

'What ya doing son?" Bo asked obviously hiding some anxiousness in his voice, while Luke reached for the car keys to stop the engine.

"Chasing truck robbers." Nick answered like that would be obvious.

Bo gave his cousin an angry look, like this was totally his doing.

"Don't look at me like that." Luke defended himself. "I already admitted it wasn't the smartest thing to do."

Nick looked confused at the cousins, not knowing what was wrong.

"Better get out of the car kiddo." Luke told him.

"But I'm just playing." Nick reacted defensive.

"Yeah well a car ain't exactly like a toy." Bo replied. "And definitely not when the motor is running."

"I wasn't going anywhere." Nick kept arguing, still looking up to the men from the driver's seat, with, his hand tightly wrapped around the steering wheel, like he was afraid it would walk away. "I just wanted to hear the engine."

"So you've heard it now, come on, out!" Luke insisted.

"No I wanna play!" Nick said stubborn. He didn't saw what he did wrong and why he couldn't continue his game.

Luke sighed. Why was this kid giving them such a hard time? "Well ya just can't always get what ya want." He said tense. "Now like Bo said, a car ain't no toy, you'll drive it when ya old enough, until then car keys are off-limits, and if ya don't come out of that car right now it's straight up to bed with you, ya hear!"

Nick pulled a sour face but chose to give in. "Can I play in the car without the engine running?" Nick asked while he was have way through the window

Bo's face turned just as sour hearing the request, but Luke seemed to disagree.

"Yes ya can." He said while helping Nick out of the car. "But not today no more."

"Why not?" Nick asked offended.

"'Cause I had to ask ya more than once to get out of that car and I don't like that." Luke said. "And besides, Jesse will be having milk and cookies ready by now."

Nick sighed. He knew that meant he had to go to bed anyway. Well at least he could have the milk and cookies instead op being send to bed immediately. He liked it when everybody sat together in the living room and talked, just as he liked having dinner together.

When his parents were still alive they never had dinner together. They just sat in front of the TV and no word would be spoken. That was when his mom had prepared dinner at all, 'cause most of the time he had to explore the fridge himself, or he took his little brother with him to a dinner, from the money he had stolen and didn't gave to his dad.

Going to bed hadn't been a ritual at all. Most of the time he just felt a sleep on his bed with his clothes still on, after reading comics 'till late or watching TV.

In the foster family's thing had been different, although there were two of them where children and grownups didn't eat at the same time and the nanny brought ya to bed. He hadn't liked that either.

As he looked up to Luke and saw his somewhat upset face, Nick felt bad, screwing up twice on the same day.

"I'm sorry." he mumbled barely hearable.

Luke gave him a soft smile and laid a hand on the boys shoulder.

"That's okay, you just run up to the house already we'll be following ya in a minute."

Nick followed his instructions literally and took of like a rabbit.

As Luke looked at his cousin he saw an angry look on the man's face.

"What's wrong with you?" Luke asked him.

"You're not seriously thinking of letting that boy play in the General right?" Bo replied unhappy.

"Sure why not? As long as he lays of those keys it won't be a problem right/"

"Well what if he wrecks something inside, or doesn't lie of the keys and drives the General trough this here barn?"

"Come on Bo, how many times didn't we play _moonrunners_ in Black Tilly as we where kids." Luke said, thinking of his cousin to be nagging.

"Not with Uncle Jesse knowing 'bout it." Bo defended himself.

"Sure he did." Luke argued. "And even if he didn't, we never wrecked Black Tilly inside or outside so I think Nick will be fine in the General."

Bo maid a low unsatisfied sound. "If ya say so sow cus, but if he does, you'll be paying for the damages ya hear."

"Sure cus." Luke laughed and slapped his cousin on the shoulder. "Let's go inside and look or Jesse got some milk and cookies for us to."

'At the sound of cookies Bo's eyes twinkled. "Yeah guess that's the advantage of having a kid walking around." He said laughing while he laid his arm around Luke shoulder in a brotherly way and they walked up to house. "You forget by the way that time we did slam Black Tilly against that stack of wood. You were 14 and I was 11."

Luke pulled a painful grin. "I don't think I wanna remember that incident."

"Yeah Jesse had quite a fit then, tanned both our hides good, after you told him what happened."

"No wonder if something happened with that car we didn't had no incomes what so ever." Luke said. "What I do remember though is it was your idea and you almost begged, me to take that car for a drive. And when we crashed it you panicked and didn't dare to tell Uncle Jesse about it, so I had to and in the end I'd get the bigger lot of Jesse's anger to deal with, because of being older and have to take care of you."

Bo grinned. "Well ya shouldn't have given in to me." He said laughing while they stepped in to the house. "After all, you were older."


	7. Chapter 7

That next day Jesse and Daisy were in the kitchen most of the day preparing a special dinner. Bo and Luke had teased Daisy about making such a fuss about it, for all it was only Enos who was coming over and he had been coming over since they were kids, just as long 'till she couldn't handle it anymore and threatened her cousins out of the kitchen with a frying pan hold up high in her hand.

When Nick had took of to the tree house around 4 p.m., Bo and Luke went in to town to find Rosco and ask about the reward money again. They didn't had much luck and as soon as they even opened their mouths in the sheriffs station, they got blown off bye an angry Rosco telling them they could get there windows fixed on costs of the sheriffs department , but then not to come back anymore.

"That guy is unbelievable." Bo moaned.

"Like we didn't know that already." Luke sad from behind the wheel of the General. "Well at least the window's get paid for, that's something."

"They wouldn't have been broken if we hadn't have to do his job."

Luke decided not to argue. He agreed with Bo for the full 100 but he just knew complaining about it wouldn't help them.

"While drumming with his thumbs on the stirring wheel, he drove up to Cooter's Garage and parked it in front of it. Bo and Luke got out of the car and went in to the garage where they found a pare of fresh polished shoes stinking out from under a patrol car."

"Hey Luke look at that beautiful pare shoes coming from under that car." Bo joked. "To whom would they belong, wouldn't be our best friend Cooter Davenport now would they."

"Neh." Luke said grinning. "Can't be. Cooter works way too hard to pay any attention to his shoes."

At the sound of his friends voices Cooter rolled from under the car.

"If it ain't our local comedians" He said sarcastic, while he got up. "Ain't ya'll Uncle Jesse never told ya, ya can't make fun of a fellows shoes."

The boys grinned.

"Sure he did, but he also told us we could always make an exception if it concerns you." Bo said cheery.

"Cute." Cooter said while he put his cap back on. "Where can I help ya two with?"

"New windshields." Luke said

"And Rosco is paying for them." Bo followed.

"Must be an expensive week for the sheriff then, this is the second car I got from him this week." And he pointed at the patrol car."

"But that is Enos's car right?" Bo asked. "What did he do, drove it in to the pond again?"

"No." Cooter sad while he walked up to the street where the General was parked. "Bumped it in to a tree, I swear that boy is more 'out there' lately then he already is usually. And he didn't even seem to mind, he just walks around with that smile on his face you don't wanna know."

Bo and Luke looked at each other and laughed. The wanted to spill there guts more than anything, but remembered they promised Daisy not to tell anything.

"You boys know something I don't?" Cooter asked curious.

Luke wanted to make a bad joke about that one, but decided he wouldn't figuring he still needed Cooter to fix there car.

"No not really." He just said and handed Cooter the keys from the general.

"Man that is one sad looking car." Cooter said, well scraching under his cap.

"Well ya saw here worse." Bo said. "When you think ya can have her running again?"

"Well I could have her done tomorrow morning, if I drop al my other doings for ya."

"So you'll have her ready in the morning" Bo grinned knowing Cooter would always help them first.

Cooter smiled. "And how's that carburetor coming?" He asked.

"Not that good, he's holding on, but no way we'll be racing it." Luke explained.

"Want me to replace that to?" He said while opening the hood, to take a look.

"No leave it. We just ain't got the money to pay ya know." Luke mumbled.

"But what about the race than?" Cooter said surprised. Normally this guys would beg him to give them the parts on credit.

"We'll be looking for some temporary jobs or something and otherwise I'll guess we just won't enter."

Cooter couldn't believe his ears. "Ya guys know ya can pay me later right? I mean, not that you're going to win or anything, but I still would like to have ya as opponents and beat ya."

"Thanks Cooter." Luke said sincere. "But we can't ask ya that. We still owe ya for a taillight and those brake lines."

"Well Lukas Dukas, ya'll won't be asking I'd be offering." Cooter sad with almost an upset look on his face. He had really hoped on beating his best two friends in that race.

Bo had already opened his mouth to thank Cooter from the bottom of his heart, but Luke interrupted him.

"Sorry Cooter but we can't do that. Let us find a way to raise the money ourselves first and if that ain't working we can't always come back to ya. We still have about a week and a half to prepare ourselves.

Bo glared at his cousin and Cooter shrugged his shoulders in a defeated way but both accepted the older Duke Cousin's decision.

"Alright then, wanna see that engine I was telling ya about?" Cooter asked

"Sure thing!" Bo reacted. Both cousins followed Cooter to his racecar an when he opened the hood they looked at a professional racecar engine. "Hot da n.." Luke reacted impressed by the shining silver colored metal.

"Ya can say that cousin." Bo seconded him. 'Ya can say that."

After staring at the engine for a while, and asking Cooter to keep them informed about anything he heard that included work or making money, they left in a borrowed car and headed for home. Bo wanted to ask Luke why he didn't accepted Cooter's offer, but decided not to, knowing Luke would have his reasons and if they couldn't raise the money in time for the race he would give in eventually.

"So how is Becky-Lee?" Luke asked. "I heard ya talking on the phone for over half an hour yesterday evening."

Bo blushed, Luke was right, normally he never talked long over the phone, but this girl made him laugh so much he forgot the time.

"She's fine, she's starting as a waitress at the Boars Nest tomorrow night. Saving money for college."

"She'll be working a lot then, with the salary Boss is paying, it will take her years."

Bo shook his head. "She said her parents paid most of it, but she wanted to tip in herself." "Than she'll probably be seeing a lot of Daisy." Luke noted.

Bo frowned for a moment. "Hmm didn't think about that." He said like it was actually a surprise to him. "Guess I better won't be teasing Daisy then about Enos to night. Or I'll be getting it back as soon as she finds out."

"Ya sure will cus." Luke said stretching himself on the passenger's seat of the car.

'You think Enos and Daisy are getting married soon?" Bo asked.

Luke shrugged, "Don't know, if it depends on Enos I think they'd be in church tomorrow, but if I were Daisy I would try the guy out before I'd got married."

"Yeah you wouldn't even marry a girl before ya tried her out right!" Bo said laughing out loud.

"Ha-ha Bo!" Luke said annoyed. "I wasn't talking 'bout that. Man I don't even wanna think about that if it's concerning Daisy! I meant that if I were Daisy I would just start dating for a while, see how things work out. After all Enos is a nice guy but would you wanted to be married to him?"

Bo took a right turn "No I won't but than of course I ain't a girl and if I could choose a guy for Daisy to date it would be Enos. At least ya know he'll be good to her."

"Yep you're right about that!" Luke agreed.

"Would you do it though?" Bo asked curious.

"Would I do what?"

"Would you marry a girl before ya..ya know 'explored the hayloft' together?" Bo explained a bit hold back.

Luke looked astonished at his cousin. He wasn't used to Bo asking him this kind of questions. Although they could talk about everything, this subject hadn't come up anymore since Bo was 15, having his first serious girlfriend, and decided he could use his older cousin's advice. After that the only time the subject came to mention was during bragging or teasing each other.

"Well I don't know Bo." Luke said seriously thinking. "Never thought about that, never had to that is, never met a girl who didn't wanted to."

It became quiet for a while.

"But if ya did met one?" Bo continued after all.

"Would ya stick around or would ya just leave it?"

"I really don't know Bo. Maybe if I really felt in love or something, but don't think that's gonna happen soon. I'm not ready yet to stay around the same girl for long, not even talking 'bout settling down so….I guess I wouldn't."

Bo nodded to show is cousin he'd understand.

"But why you asking me this?" Luke asked while he frowned. "Something wrong with you and Becky Lee?" .

"Well I wouldn't say something is wrong with her." Bo said a bit ashamed. "But she doesn't wants to."

Luke had to put al his efforts in not to laugh, but he didn't do a good job and ended up making a snorting sound.

"It ain't funny Luke!" Bo reacted upset. "I really don't know what to do about it."

"I'm sorry Bo." Luke said sincere feeling a bit sorry for his younger cousin. "But what would you want to do about it? Not like ya can force her or something."

"I know that and I would never do such a thing but….well I don't know. …If I could just change her mind or something."

Luke gave his cousin a worried look. "If she doesn't wants to, she doesn't want to, better not try to change that, cause before ya know it you do something stupid and hurt her."

"I would never hurt her, I like her very much." Bo defended himself.

"Well did she tell ya why she didn't want to?"

Bo shrugged his shoulder. "Saving herself for marriage I believe." He muttered. "Not like we don't do nothing at all, but she doesn't wanna go all the way."

Luke couldn't help laughing again. "Well cus, I think your done there, guess those liberal parents did a good job after all."

Bo sighed. "Well I like being around her a lot, and I don't wanna loose her, so I guess I can pull through for a while, but if this thing lasts I'm not so sure whether I can."

"Sorry Bo, but I can't help ya there. That's something that you have to find out for ya self. Or ya have to propose to her of course, than all ya problems will disappear."

Bo didn't felt like reacting on that joke and just muttered "Get real." in a low voice while flooring the gas pedal.

At the farm, Nick had returned around 6 p.m. already, because his friends had to be home early. With Bo and Luke not being there yet he had to find himself something to do. He already had read the comic Bo gave him twice and he decided to look the cousin's room or there where some more. Walking in to Bo's and Luke's bedroom he immediately noticed the difference between the two sides of the room. At the left where Luke's bed was standing everything looked pretty alright but the right side of the bedroom was one big mesh. Clothes and comics were spread on the floor and used towels hang over the bed.

Nick kneeled down at the end of Bo's bed where the comics were scattered. As he went through them he was amazed about how many comics one person could have. Having the time of his live checking the title's and different volumes he shot him self of from the world completely not noticing the bedroom door opening. Suddenly he felt a hand resting on his shoulder, which made him almost jump to the sealing.

"Can I help ya with something?" Uncle Jesse asked him gentle.

"O sorry sir, I didn't hear you come in." Nick said still regaining his nerves.

"Were ya looking for something?" Jesse asked again in a soothing voice, ignoring the apology.

"I was just looking for comics." Nick defended himself panicking. The thought occurred to him, Uncle Jesse might think he was stealing something now he saw him sit like this.

"I finished the one Bo gave me and I just wanted to borrow another one. I was going to return it really!"

Jesse smiled and helped the boy of the floor, and ruffled his hair. "I know you were." He said to calm the boy down. "But ya better wait until Bo gets home, so you can ask him whether he is alright with it. That's more polite ya see."

"Ok, but what I'm going to do until he comes back then?" Nick asked while following Jesse in to the living room.

"Well did ya ever consider reading a book?" Jesse asked while he walked up to the bookcase.

Nick pulled an ugly face. "Well I don't know. Never used to have much of them around at home." He said doubting "We had to read one at school but I remember it hadn't a lot op pictures in it. Not like a comic."

"Well why don't ya give it a try?" Jesse said while handing him a book from the bookcase. "Try it for about 15 minutes and if ya don't like it, I'll get ya one of Bo's comics myself. Deal?"

Nick looked at the book fore a moment like it was really dirty, but than accepted it.

"Alright deal" He said with a bit more enthusiasm and sat himself down on the couch.

The book was really thick and had a brown jacket. _'Winnetou' _the title said. '_by Karl May_'.

As Nick opened the book he saw luckily it had some pictures in it, but it weren't a lot. The drawings of the Indians intrigued him though and slowly he started to read.

During the first couple of pages Nick kept looking at the clock. As he pulled through for just 8 more minutes he would get his comic. But slowly the story got his attention. He had to chuckle as '_The greenhorn' _ lifted mister Henry like he was made of feathers and he'd got curious what this grumpy old men wanted with the young men from Germany.

While reading Nick forgot all about the time and didn't even notice, first Bo and Luke and after that Enos walk in.

When Bo saw Nick sitting on the couch he frowned en gave Luke an amazed look.  
"Is the kid reading now?" He whispered like it was a holy happening.

"Looks like it?" Luke whispered back. "He must be bored out of his mind wanting to read a book."

"Yeah, only time we ever read something was when we had to for school and Jesse made us."

"Well I read Tom Sawyer for fun once." Luke said after thinking a moment.

"Yeah but that was when you were ill with the flu and ya have to stay in bed for over a week." Bo reminded him.

"Guess ya right there cus." Luke admitted. "Come on, better leave the boy alone and see whether Jesse needs help setting the table."

Bo nodded but looked over his shoulder one more time before entering the kitchen. "Tseee..reading!?" he said shaking his head, but Nick was in a whole other world, not hearing a thing the boys had said.

In the kitchen Bo and Luke only found Daisy, cause Enos had asked whether he could talk to Jesse in private and the two of them had settled down on the front porch.

'I really wanted to thank you for having me over tonight Mr. Duke." Enos said formal. 'Really appreciate it."

"That's nothing special Enos; you have come ever since you and Luke went to school together. You're always welcome ya know that."

"I know that Mr. Duke, but wanted to say thanks anyway, cause I haven't been around lately as I'd use to do."

"Well, you're very busy being a deputy so no need for feeling sorry about that. But some how I think that's not the reason ya wanted to talk to me is it Enos?" Jesse said with a soft smile.

"No sir, it ain't but I'm not sure where to begin 'cause what I want to talk to you about is something very serious."

Jesse shook his head. "Just say what ya mean and mean what ya say, there's no need for stalling." He said a bit stern, 'cause he knew Enos would be capable of stuttering on for half an hour.

Enos took a deep breathe. "Sir you know I like Daisy a lot. Really a lot."

Jesse nodded. "That has been a common known secret for years."

"Yes it has, hasn't it?" Enos smiled, a bit blushing. "Now Daisy said she likes me to, so I would really wanted to ask your permission to she her and take her out sometimes. I would be really looking out for her and take good care of her. I promise that."

Jesse couldn't help thinking it would be Daisy who had to look out for Enos, but he know Enos would treat her right.

"Daisy is a grown woman Enos, and she allowed and capable of making her own choices. If she wants to go out with ya, she doesn't need my permission."

"I know that Mr. Duke, but it would mean a real lot to me if we had your consent."

Jesse laid a hand on Enos shoulder in a fatherly way. "Enos you have had my consent ever since you escorted Daisy to her first prom. Now I trust you to treat her right and to maker her happy."

"I will Mr. Duke I swear it."

"Well if that's settled than, we'd better go see in the kitchen 'cause dinner should be ready."

"Yes sir." Enos replied and stood up from the porch.

Before they walked in to the kitchen Jesse turned around ones more and looked at Enos with a gentle smile.  
"And Enos." The old man said. "Since you might be becoming part of the family, why don't ya just call me Uncle Jesse."

Hearing that Enos face just beamed with pride as he replied "Yes sir, Uncle Jesse I will!"

When finally everybody was assembled in the kitchen, Jesse said grace and everybody could enjoy there dinner. Daisy and Jesse had worked very hard on making an excellent gumbo following the family recipe and it had worked out great.

"This tastes really great." Enos said sincere. "Haven't been eating as good in ages"

Daisy smiled. "That means I have to be cooking a lot more for ya then." She said in a sweet voice.

"Hasn't been always like that." Luke said. "Remember that time Daisy baked her first cookies Enos?"

"I sure do." Enos grinned. "They were totally black, but we had to eat them anyway, 'cause otherwise she would get mad."

"Well you ate them." Luke said laughing. "I only pretended to and threw them away later. Man those things were hard."

"Luke Duke that ain't a nice thing to say." Daisy said insulted.

"Well you're a great cook now." Luke defended himself. "Wouldn't now what to do with out ya, but when you just came from the city to the farm, you didn't new nothing."

'I was only six!" Daisy reacted.

"You where so funny, when we just came here." Bo said with his mouth stuffed. "Always afraid of getting your clothes dirty and you were terrified of the goats. Didn't dear to com near them."

"Well I now some stories about you to Mr." Daisy fought back in the friendly quarrel. "You were afraid of almost everything as soon as the light went of. Monsters, wild dogs, the boogieman you name it and you were afraid they would come in to your bedroom. I think there even lived a mean dwarf in your closet. And then Luke had to scare them a way for ya otherwise you wouldn't go to sleep."

Nick laughed out loud. He couldn't picture Bo being scared for the boogieman, but the idea was very funny.

"And you didn't used to like that at all in the beginning." Bo said to Luke with a grin. He was so used to people teasing him about his childhood fears he didn't even get worked up about it anymore."

"As I recall right, you didn't like us coming to the farm at all." Daisy added.

"Well I didn't like a lot of things at the time." Luke almost said apologizing. "But can you blame me. I used to have the farm all bye myself, and then all of a sudden this city girl and a overexcited kid who's running al the time and nocks everything over, come to disturb the peace."

"I wasn't a real city girl." Daisy argued.

"Yes you were, you were from Atlanta and a definite city girl."

"The story I like most of all, is how the three of you became friends after all." Jesse said

"Well that's Luke's story to tell." Bo grinned.

"Oh would you please?" Nick asked 'cause he saw Luke didn't really felt like it.

Luke sighed. "Al right then, one more time, but after that this story is dead, buried and not coming up anymore."

Luke shoved his chair a bit back and started to tell.

"Well Nick, like I told ya already, during

this time I wasn't the easiest person to hang around."

"Make that, almost impossible to stand." Jesse corrected him

Luke rolled his eyes. "Alright, Alright, I was trouble. The point is, at that time being in 4th grade I met some friends who were trouble too and Uncle Jesse here didn't want me to hang out with them. Of course I didn't listen and one day these boys asked me to come to their secret hiding place after school. I knew Uncle Jesse would never agree to that, and because he'd come and pick us up every day after school I needed an alibi. "

"So of course he came to me." Bo said grinning.  
"Yes I did, Bo and me weren't friends yet, but I knew he wouldn't rat me out, so I told him what I was about to do, but told him he had to tell Uncle Jesse I was gone home with some other kid making homework."

"I was pretty worried at that time cause I knew those kids were pests and I tried to stop Luke by telling him Jesse would never buy it."

"I didn't listen though, just told Bo not to be such a drag and went anyway."

"He was such a nice guy." Bo said sarcastically laughing.

Luke sighed. The reason he didn't liked telling this story was it confronted him every time what a jerk he had been and he didn't liked that.

"So after school me and the three other boys went to a little deserted shed somewhere in an alley." Luke's face started to become al little pale. "We had some fun for a while, but then all of a sudden one of the guys told me that if I wanted to belong to there group I had to take a test."

"What kind of test?" Nick asked curious.

"Well they would lock me up in the shed and I had to stay inside for about 10 minutes. That was it." Luke explained. "Of course I thought did would be easy. The worst thing that could happen to me was a boring 10 minutes, and of course I wanted to belong to there group desperately so I would have done anything."

Nick looked doubtful at Luke's face. He found it hard to imagine, that this fully grown man, who jumped his car over a creek, and to whom he looked up to had wanted to belong with a group so bad, he let himself be locked up.

"So they locked the door and I stayed in waiting until the 10 minutes would have past. Now of course these guys wouldn't just do nothing. They wanted to test me and tried different all kinds of different things to get me out. Now one of these boys had a pet snake he carried around with him everywhere he'd go. They let the snake slide through under the door, hoping it would make me burst in to the door and get out. Now I've never been very fond of snakes, but having lived on a farm all my live, my parents also used to own a farm, I knew if ya would just let them be, they wouldn't do ya no harm. So there first attempted failed."

Nick listened with big eyes totally forgetting about his food. He couldn't believe Uncle Jesse liked this story , 'cause it scared the he out of him.

"Secondly they tried to throw firecrackers at the shed, which except for making a lot of noise couldn't do much harm and maid me glad I was inside instead of outside, but with a jumpy snake in there still not very pleasant." Luke stopped for a while to take a bite from his food and then continued.

"Well finally, the most bright one of them all decided they could make a fire at the side of the shed." He said in a sarcastic tone. "So the smoke would come through the cracks of the shed and I would get out. The thing they didn't realize though was the leaking cans of gasoline that were standing against the shed."

Enos who had never heard this story before looked at him with his mouth hanging open. "You mean Luke they…."

Luke nodded. "The cans caught on fire and so did the wall of the shed."

"So they got you out right?" Nick asked.

Luke shook his head. "Nope guess the fire scared them so much they just run away, with out even thinking of me in there."

"No kiddin'" Nick said shocked, he could not imagine anyone do such a thing.

"No kiddin, now luckily Bo here was still as nosy as he is today." Luke said grinning. "He had followed us to the shed and as he saw the boys running away he came out of his hiding place and got me out."

"Ain't I a hero?" Bo said mockingly about himself.

"Yes ya were." Luke replied in a bit of a bored voice. Not that he wasn't grateful his cousin had saved him, but the fact he already had to hear this most of his live made it a bit old."

"That's quite a story Luke." Enos said impressed. "How old were ya 9 or something?"

"Yep something like that, Bo was only 6 that's for sure just out of kindergarten."

"So what happened then?" Nick asked feeling there was more to this story.

"Well first we run to a telephone box to make an anonymous call to the fire department and then we sat down in the park to regain from our shock."

Bo grinned. "I remember me being even more upset than you were at that time."

"Yeah that's true. Strange thing was I never really got scared being in the shed. I saw the smoke and heard the fire, but not being able to see much of the flames I didn't panic. You on the other hand had saw the whole thing happen and were scared out of ya mind. In the park you were crying and I had to calm ya down saying everything was alright. And after I explained to you why I was in the shed you got raving mad at me. 'Why would you let yaself get locked up to be friends with some morons if ya can be Daisy's and mine friend for free." " Luke smiled at Bo. "Guess after you saving my life and telling me that I had to like ya whether I wanted to or not." He grinned. "True thing cus, but I think us facing Uncle Jesse together did the most of the bonding work."

Luke looked at Nick again. "While we were sitting there in the park all of a sudden we heard a very, very angry voice calling our names from the other site of the street." He went on. "Because Bo had followed me and Daisy didn't new anything about my plans, there was nobody to explain our absence when he came to pick us up."

"First I thought those boys had worked themselves in to detention, but when I went in and nobody could tell me where they were, I got worried sick." Jesse told them.

"Well there we were, Bo still in tears from the shock, me still coughing from the smoke and Jesse coming towards us ready to kill us. 'Where have you boys been.' He asked us. 'I've searched half of this forsaken town and now I find ya here. What happened and why is he crying?'. I was about to tell what happened when Bo suddenly opened his mouth."

"This wasn't the first time Luke got in to trouble ya know." Bo said "I realized that If Jesse at that time heard what had happened Luke would be a goner."

"You better be sure about that." Jesse muttered.

"So I told Uncle Jesse I had been bullied by some older kids and they had chased me from the playground. Luke had come after me to help me and freed me from my attackers"

"And you believed that, Uncle Jesse?" Enos asked.

"Well at first yes, until I wanted to give them boys a hug and I smelled the smoke on them."

"But still ya didn't say anything at that time." Luke said. "You pretended to believe our story."

"Yes I did, 'cause although I didn't take kind of being lied to I could see whatever had happened, it changed something between the both of you and it definitely had changed something in you. Whole the way home, you had your arm wrapped around Bo comforting him and whipping away his tears. It was the first time I saw you really care about somebody. Besides you told me the truth all by your self later that day, so I didn't had to ask ya about it no more."

Luke gave a shy grin. "Guess my conscious had reached their limit and I needed to tell somebody what happened, if it meant getting disciplined for it."

"But it didn't." Bo said. "Uncle Jesse thought of being looked up in a burning shed was punishment enough and he got away with it."

"After a very long lecture about obeying your elders, choosing the people you hang out with and always telling the truth." Luke added

Everybody had to laugh.

"Why haven't I never heard this story Luke?" Enos asked. "I remember hearing about that shed burning down at the time, but I never knew you had something to do with it."

"Well it wasn't exactly the most happiest day of my live ya know. I didn't go blabbering about it to everyone , and we weren't really friends yet at that time."

"How did you become friends?" Nick asked, wanting to hear more stories. "Well that's a whole lot shorter story." Luke said "When we were in 6th grade Enos got bullied by some 10th graders. Me and Cooter saw him almost being lifted in to a trashcan so we stepped in."

"I was glad you did 'cause just a couple of seconds later and I would have been in there. And it had been 'Tuna-day'"

"You and Cooter were strong enough to take them older kids?" Nick asked

"Seemed like we were, but don't you underestimate Cooter. He was then just as crazy as he is today. He might even have calmed down a bit by now. If he came at ya you better hide."

Many stories were told during dinner and desert and Nick couldn't get enough of them. Most of them were about them all as kids, but Bo also told a story about the first time they've got chased by Enos. "I couldn't believe ya wanted to become a deputy." Bo said "But I guess we're all glad ya did now, being the only honest lawman in town."

"Guess it will be strange though, you chasing us while you're dating Daisy." Luke commented.

"Yes is will, won't it." Enos said a little disappointed. He already had been afraid about that being an issue for the Dukes to accept him seeing Daisy.

"Well we figure something out." Daisy said smiling, while she wrapped her arm around him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, not wanting the mood to be spoiled.

"Alright who's doing the dishes?" Jesse asked while he was clearing the table.

Luke looked at Nick who had almost slid under the table to make himself invisible.

"Wanna help me sport?" Luke asked with a smile.

Nick knew this wasn't really a request and slowly got up from his chair answering "Yes sir."


	8. Chapter 8

After the dishes were done Nick wanted to continue his book, but when he entered the living room he saw Bo was holding it.

"You actually reading this right?' He asked the boy. Nick nodded, he didn't really get were Bo was up to.

"And ya also like it?"

"Yeah it's okay." Nick answered.

Bo shook his head, he was truthfully amazed about a boy who wanted to read without anyone making him.

"May I have it back?" Nick asked.

"Well sure ya may, if ya really want to." Bo said in teasing kind of way.

"Yes I want to." Nick said getting up-set. Why was this guy annoying him?

"Alright here ya are." Bo said with a smile, handing Nick the book. "I just thought you might want to come with me and take the car for a drive that's all, but if ya rather stay here inside and read that's fine by me to."

"Ya serious?" Nick asked surprised. Until now he had only done things together with Luke, but not with Bo.

"Yes sir, definitely." Bo said jokingly.

"Alright!" Nick called out and he stormed at the car, not even thinking about the book anymore.  
In the door opening Luke had been watching. "You'll be careful cus?" He asked Bo not completely trusting him.

"Don't I always?" Bo said grinning.

Luke sighed but decided not to be a drag and walked back in to the kitchen, while Bo ran towards the car.

From the porch swing Daisy and Enos saw the boys driving away.

"Hope they don't going to race." Enos said worried.

"Oh Enos relax." Daisy said loving. "You're not on duty tonight."

"Your right Daisy, I'm sorry." Enos said while placing her hand in his. "Besides Bo probably won't do nothing stupid with the boy in the car."

Daisy wasn't so sure about that, but she didn't tell Enos that. Softly she let her head rest on his shoulder. "I love being her with you Enos." Daisy whispered

"So do I sweetheart." Enos whispered back. "So do I."

Driving on the Hazard County back roads Bo and Nick were having quite a good time. Bo decided not to push the borrowed car, but was sure to show Nick some of his driving abilities.

"You enjoying yourself kid?" Bo asked while taking a sharp turn.

"Yeah!" Nick said smiling. "This is cool, I never saw nobody driving like this."

"Well you haven't been long in Hazzard then, cause around here everybody drives like this."

"How old were you when you first drove a car?" Nick asked curious.

Bo thought for a second. "Well we could take the cars out on the field so I think thirteen or something, with Luke besides me telling me what to do."

"Ain't it hard?"

"No not when you know what to do. It's just something ya learn along the way and Luke and me have invested a lot of time to practice."

"You race a lot?"

Bo nodded. "We used to race our cars every Saturday a long the river since we were 16. Now we only race in official race's organized in town."

"Like the one in two weeks."

"Yeah like that one." Bo said a bit down, realizing this might be a race they had to miss.

"Ya think the General be fixed in time?" Nick asked.

"Sure hope so kid." Bo said heartfelt while increasing his speed.

Nick looked at Bo with a begging look. "Can I try?" He asked hopefully.

Bo had suspected this question and seemed to be doubting but didn't gave in. "Sorry kid, I'm afraid you're a bit to young for that and we ain't on private ground so when the cops come we're screwed."

Nick pulled a disappointed face.

"But ya can drive the stick if ya want?" Bo said.

A full smile appeared again. Bo slowed down and put the car in 2nd.

"Alright ya see the numbers on the stick?"

"Ahhah." Nick nodded

"Well those are the different gears. Now I've got him in second, when I say 'now' try to put in 3rd, just by pushing it up. But not earlier 'cause I have to use the clutch first"

Nick laid his hand on the stick and waited full of excitement. Bo made the car accelerate. "Now." He said and looked at Nick's hand.

A bit stiff but correct Nick moved the stick to 3rd gear.

"Good, next one will be 4th, just push it down when I say so."

Bo increased his speed again and said: "Now!"

Smoothly the car went in to 4th gear.

"Not bad kiddo." Bo said smiling. "Ya might have a touch for it."

Nick glowed with pride.

After practicing for about 15 minutes Bo drove the car around for another half an hour and than they returned to the farm. Half way though suddenly the heard a siren gaining on them.

"O darned Rosco!" Bo shouted, while looking is his rear mirror and he floored the gas pedal.

"We weren't even going over 55."

"Yes we were." Nick said who had been watching al the lights and needles carefully.

"You wanna pay the ticket?" Bo asked him cranky.

"No not really." Nick reacted a bit hold back.

"Well then we weren't" Bo said determined and the next 20 minutes they were spending on loosing Rosco.

At the farm Jesse had been on the look out, it being long past Nick's bedtime. As the two boys finally walked in to the kitchen Jesse gave Bo a disapproving look. "Well we had to shake Rosco." Bo said defending himself without a word was said.

At that remark Jesse's eyes were firing daggers at Bo, causing him to flee out of the kitchen. "Better get ready for bed quickly kiddo." He said while ruffling the boy's hair. "Otherwise I think Jesse is gonna kill me."

"Sure Bo." Nick said suddenly noticeably willing and he ran up the stairs. "O and Bo." He called from the top of the stairs "Yeah?" Bo replied. "Thanks, I had fun tonight." Bo smiled. "Me too kid." He said truthfully. "Me too."

When Bo and Luke went to see Cooter the next day the General was completely fixed and tuned up. Cooter had replaced the windows, done some bodywork and oiled everything that needed to be oiled. Actually the only thing he hadn't fixed was the carburetor to respect their wishes. "Cooter your crazy ya know that." Bo said in a thankful way. "You put way to much work in it, how we gonna pay ya for that?"

Cooter grinned. "Well that's what my name says, but I might be crazy but I ain't dumb so let me worry about the costs okay. Better yet let Rosco worry about the costs. I got this feeling windshields are quite expensive at the moment."

"Cooter you're the best." Luke said while slapping his friend on the shoulder.

"I know that." Cooter said laughing. "But she still ain't racing ya here. If ya'll ain't changing that carburetor, she'll be driving but she ain't racing."

"We know Cooter, we know." Bo sighed while giving his cousin an angry glare.

That evening while Nick was already in bed he heard Bo and Luke arguing. It's wasn't one of the friendly quarrels they had all the time, but he could here they were actually angry with each other. The men had been looking for some extra work all day but hadn't found none and Bo was getting worried. "I'm not gonna let this race go by ya here." Bo said up-set. "Were talking about 500 bucks worth of price money, and is not like we can't use that. Definitely not with an extra person to feed and put up."

"I know that Bo, but I just don't want to owe Cooter anymore then we already do. I'm sure he needs it himself just as well."

"Cooter doesn't mind Luke!" Bo said desperately. "He wants us to take him up on his offer so he can race us. You heard the man, 'We ain't asking, he's offering'"

"Sure he is, he's a true friend, but that doesn't mean we have to take him up on it."

"Well if you don't want to I'm gonna ask Cooter about the part. The general is half mine so I can put any part in that I like."

"Well yeah you do that!" Luke replied upset, while smacking hit hand on the table. At that point Jesse interfered and told them settle down, or at least to keep there voices down. So Nick couldn't hear anymore. He had heard enough though and in his thoughts a plan was made, of which it would have been better if he had forget it right away.

It was 3 A.M. that night when Luke parked his car in front of Cooter's garage. 20 minutes earlier the phone had woken up the entire Duke family. Bo and Luke could here Jesse scold. "Who on earth calls in the middle of the night and hails a man out of his bed." As they walked in to the living room they saw Jesse answering in a low sleepy voice "Duke Farm Jesse speaking…..Cooter what are ya calling on this unchristian hour for…….He what!!??...alright we'll be over in a second……You to Cooter thank ya for calling, bye now" The three cousins who had assembled in the living room looked questioning at their uncle. "Better get dressed boys." The man told Bo and Luke. " 'Cause you'll be heading of for town."

After a short family session they had decided Luke would be the one to drive to Cooter's. Bo had offered to come with him, but Luke kindly declined and told him to go back to bed.

As he got out of the car he saw the lights in the garage were on and the door was open. He went in knowing he wouldn't like what he was about to hear. Inside he saw Cooter sitting behind a workbench, he had to look twice though to find Nick sitting In a corner of the garage with his head hung.

"Hi there Cooter." Luke said not that cheery while he slapped his buddy on the shoulder. "What happened?"

"Hi there yourself Lukas, glad ya could come this quick, he just ain't the company I like to see in the middle of the night." Cooter said pointing at Nick and holding a carburetor in his hand. "Caught him trying to steel this here thing. I startled him good though, let the goods drop right out his hands." He said with a grin, and showed Luke the broken parts.

"Can ya still fix it?" Luke asked worried.

"Is Boss Hogg fat and crooked?" The man said laughing.

Luke smiled. "Thanks for taking this thing so well." He said sincere. "You could have gone to the sheriff just as well."

"Well don't worry about it, just lucky I was here, besides a couple of hours sleep and a couple of 10 minutes work it didn't cost me anything."

"What are you doing here anyway?" Luke asked confused. "Are you this hooked on your job you even sleep her nowadays."

"Well something like that, I've been very busy lately. Hogg raised my mortgage so I had to take some extra customers and with the race coming up I want to work on my own car some more, so I just sleep here above the garage, saves me some time."

Luke nodded understanding. Cooter had always been very devoted to his job, but he wondered whether one of these days it would get to him to bad."

Luke turned to Nick with an upset look on his face. "Wanna explain any of this Nick?"

Nick didn't respond and kept starring at the floor.

"He tried to run away." Cooter explained. "Fighting me, kicking and screaming to get out of that door, but after he noticed it wasn't gonna work he gave up, and just sat there, not saying a word."

Luke walked up to the kid and put a hand on his shoulder while he crouched down to eye height of the boy. "Now Nick you listen to me carefully." Luke said with a firm voice. "I won't lie to you. I'm pretty mad at ya right now and ya put yaself in a whole lot of trouble, but keeping your mouth shot ain't gonna do you no good, just making it worse that is. Now I really would like to hear an explanation of all this." Nick looked at Luke for a moment, but his eyes returned to the floor immediately. Luke sighed and straightened up. "Al right have it your way, we better go home than." Luke said stern. "We can't keep Cooter up any longer than we already did you just get in the car I'll be there in a moment." Without looking at anyone Nick got up from his chair and walked out the door.

The two man looked at each other. "Sorry yet ya took him in?" Cooter asked grinning.

"Neh wouldn't put it like that." Luke said with a soft smile. "But I have to admit he's more trouble than I'd imagined."

Cooter stretched himself and yawned. "Well you just straiten him out while I'm of to bed again. I've had enough excitement for one night."

"Yeah sure, thanks again buddy." Luke said "You just let us know if that carburetor gives you any trouble. We think of a way than how the boy is repaying ya for your time or parts."

"I will. Good night now."

"Good night."

A couple of minutes later the atmosphere in the General Lee was tense. Nick hadn't said a word yet and Luke was getting more and more upset. Not just because of the fact that Nick didn't wanted to talk, but more because he had thought the kid was making progress since he came to the farm, but now the were right back to zero. "I'm very disappointed in you kid." He said from behind the wheel. "I thought we talked about steeling being a bad thing, now didn't we?" Nick just shrugged his shoulders and looked out side through the window.

"Al right so you don't care." Luke said angry. "Ya almost got your bud thrown in jail again, but you don't care. And you don't care about taking something from somebody who worked really hard to earn it. Darned Nick Cooter is our friend."

" I didn't say that." Nick reacted irritated. He didn't want Luke to be angry at him, but he didn't get why he was this upset. Didn't Luke see he just wanted to help? If they didn't help their selves he had to, didn't he? And now he was getting blamed for everything.

"No you haven't said anything yet." Luke said more calm "So why don't ya tell me what you were thinking then." He tried to give the boy some space to explain himself, but Nick didn't seemed open for conversation.

"What does it matter!?" He called out in a impertinent voice. "It didn't work out anyway."

"No thank God for that, cause if Cooter had reported a beggarly and they found out it was you later he just might have pressed charges."  
"If he's such a good friend he wouldn't do that now would he?" Nick said provoking.

"Well maybe he should've!" Luke reacted with eye's that could kill. "And you better chance that attitude of yours cause I'm this close of tanning your hide you hear!" Holding his thumb and index finger less than a inch from each other.

'You can't do that." Nick said "You're not my father, your not even my guardian. You've got nothing to say about me."

Nick had been shocked by his own words but not as much as he was shocked by the sudden stop of the car which made him glad he wore his seatbelt . Luke had swung the General over too the side of the deserted road and hit the brakes. "You! Out!" He said while he climbed through the window. Nick, who was still shook up by the blow the car had made, didn't hesitate.

Luke had walked around the car and stood in front of the boy. He didn't like what he was about to do, but he knew if he wouldn't do something right now it would do a whole lot of more damage then when he did. "Nick my boy, I hope ya know I care about you _a lot_ but I _won't_ have ya talking to me like that. Not ever and especially not when, after all we did to keep ya out of trouble, you still pull a stupid stunt like this. Now you better bend over the hood of that car before I put you over it myself!."

Nick had lost the nerves to object, he just stood there and looked at Luke's angry face which told him there was no way out.

"You heard me." Luke said stern, but almost melting for the sad look he saw in the boy's eyes. Nick did as he was told and Luke took his belt and whipped the boy.

After the punishment Luke put the boy back on his feet. He could see Nick had tears in his eyes but pretended he didn't see it and gave him time to hide them. It were not only tears of pain though. Nick hadn't made a sound during the whole punishment, forcing himself to stay tough, but the words Luke had spoken made him feel really low.

Luke sighed and leant against the car, his arms crossed. After he had given Nick the time to gather himself, he wanted to have the whole affair over and done with before the reached the farm. "Are ya ready to talk, ya think?" He asked in a gentle voice.

Nick rubbed his eyes ones more and then nodded.

"I didn't like doing this, but you were really out of line there." Luke explained. "You can't talk to people like that. "

"I didn't mean it like that. I was just angry." Nick said softly.

"Angry about what?" Luke asked.

Nick shrug his shoulder. "I don't know, just angry."

"Well try to explain anyway." Luke encouraged him. "Ya can tell me anything as long as your honest and ya say it in a normal way."

"Well.." Nick said while he looked at Luke. "Just that I only tried to help ya so ya could win the race and you got upset about that. I didn't think that was fair and I got angry. And if I get angry I don't wanna listen to nobody."

"And is that a good thing ya think?" Luke asked

"Guess not." Nick replied looking away

:"No it's not, you're just a kid and ya can't always have things your way. You have to listen to the people who take care of ya, cause they only want what's good for you even if ya might not agree with it always. And because they only want what's good for ya they deserve your respect"

"But I do respect what ya did for me." Nick said in a complaining voice. "That's why I wanted to help ya'all, so you and Bo could win the race."

Luke frowned. "Now how is steeling from a friend helping exactly?" He asked with a bit of sarcasm

"Well ya could fix the General and after ya won the race you could have paid Cooter back from the price money."

"Did ya really think we could do a thing like that?" Luke asked disbelieving. "We told ya steeling is wrong and I rather don't race at all than to win a race by steeling stuff."

Nick looked at the floor. "I just thought if I had already stolen that carburetor you would use it any way."

"Well ya thought wrong than." Luke said stern. "And by doing that you didn't only get your self in danger of getting caught, you also put our reputation at risk. Jesse stuck his neck out for ya asking the townsfolk to give ya a break last time. What do ya think happens if they hear you were at it again?"

"I didn't think of that." Nick replied in an panicking voice, feeling the tears come back in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I really am. I heard you and Bo fight and I didn't wanted for you to be upset with each other no more. I just wanted to help and I didn't want to have to go back to the orphanage."

Luke gave the boy an amazed look. "Now who said anything about you having to go back anywhere?" He asked.

"Well I thought if you couldn't fix the General and you couldn't race anymore, there wouldn't never be enough money for me to stay with ya'all. Now I know it's just temporary stay, but I didn't wanna leave yet. Please don't be upset no more."

Luke could see Nick meant what he said and started to feel sorry for the kid. It must be hard never having any certainty. "You come over here" He said in a caring voice. He pulled the boy close to him in a fatherly way and let the back of the boys head rest on his chest, while he himself still leant against the car.

"It's okay already." He said soothing. "You're right, there will be a day you'll have to go back, but today ain't that day and when it is, I'll tell it to you face to face so you won't have to be doing guess work about it until then. And I'll promise ya money will never be the reason for it ya hear."

Nick nodded silently, still fighting tears a bit. Although he'd never felt really affectionate to any adult and he thought of himself to be pretty grown-up already he couldn't deny it felt good to be hold by Luke like this. Funny enough during the circumstances it felt save.

"You just have to remember from now on that there is no excuse for steeling. Doing a wrong thing for the right reasons doesn't make it right, you understand that?" Luke asked

Nick nodded again.

"And you will have to make up with Cooter, let us just hope he can fix that carburetor ya dropped otherwise we have to find a way to pay two of them."

"I'm really sorry." Nick responded sobbing. "I'll pay for it myself, I swear."

"And how were you thinking of doing that?" Luke said a bit sarcastic but with a grin in his voice.

"Well I don't know." Nick said in a disappointed voice. "But I'll find a way, maybe I can get a job somewhere."

"Well we see about that. But that's clear then? No more stealing, ever!"

"Okay." The boy reacted in a long stretched 'if it has to' sort of way, but immediately thought to himself this wasn't the way he was suppose to react. "I eh mean yes Sir I promise." he corrected himself quickly.

Luke smiled. "Good, one more thing though."

"What?" Nick asked.

"I want you to start acting like a kid again. Just let us take care of you and don't worry about things like money, you understand what I mean?"

Nick sighed and gave Luke a sad smile. "Yes sir I will."

"Well if that's settled we better go home, I think the others will be wondering what's keeping us so long."

Nick nodded, he had almost forgotten they were standing at the site of the road, but when he tried to climb in the car, he remembered again why they were. Very stiff and with a painful face he climbed trough the window and took his place on the front seat. 'Man' he thought to himself 'next time he would think twice before he ever told Luke he couldn't do something again'

When Nick and Luke arrived at the farm Jesse and Bo were still up, Jesse out of concern, Bo out of loyalty to Luke. As they walked in the living room Jesse was on the edge of his nerves and wanted to have a firm conversation with the kid. The reinsuring expression on Luke's face though let him know there was no need for that anymore and things had been solved.

"Better get straight to bed son." Luke said giving Nick an excuse to leave the room as soon as possible.

Nick nodded almost thankfully and walked to the stairs, however turning around before leaving the room. He looked shy at the two man who were hanging over their cups of coffee. "Uncle Jesse, Bo I'm sorry I caused so much trouble and I get ya'all out of bed. It was stupid and I won't do it again."

"That's alright." Jesse muttered . "Just go to bed now."

Nick nodded and the three man looked at the stiff moving boy walking up the stairs and disappearing from their views.

Jesse sighed. "Do I wanna hear the story now?" He asked Luke.

"Nothing that can't wait till tomorrow." Luke said calm, really longing for his bed.

"Alright and how was Cooter?"

Luke grinned. "Cooter was fine, Cooter is always fine even if ya get him out of bed at three in the morning."

"Can't say that goes for everyone." Bo yawned while getting up from his chairs. "I'm of to bed."

"Same here cus." Luke agreed. "Goodnight Uncle Jesse."

"Goodnight boys."


	9. Chapter 9

The following days were pretty busy for the Duke family. After the fields were plowed the sawing of the winter grain started together with the painting of the barn. Also Cooter had kept his promise to keep his eyes and ears open and found Bo and Luke an evening job crushing old car wrecks at the junkyard, which was good for their financial position but not for there amount of free time. Bo and Luke weren't the only ones busy though. After the brake in, Nick had tenderly been forced to apologize to Cooter immediately the next day. Although Cooter had been able to fix the carburetor it hadn't been worth as much as it had been new but he refused to charge his friends with any costs. They did decide though Nick would help out in the garage, two hours each day for a week, to make up for the trouble he caused. Nick wasn't particularly thrilled about that, first of all because he had to help out at the garage on the same time school was out and he usually used to play with Max and Randy at that time. Secondly, he didn't knew Cooter at all besides their midnight come together and he couldn't help being a bit intimidated bye this greasy looking man who maid weird rimes all day and could cheer out all of a sudden just because he had found the right screw to match a hole. Nick was smart enough not to complain though and so he let himself be dropped of at the garage everyday without showing any objections.

With everybody busy as they were days went by quick, but Bo wouldn't be a Duke if he didn't find the time to spend with a girl. After he and Luke had worked on the junkyard he had picked Becky Lee up and drove her to the river. They talked, kissed, laughed, kissed told each other stories, kissed some more, rolled through the grass together in a playful teasing way and ended up holding each other watching the sunset. Bo couldn't remember feeling so happy to be around a girl since his first crush in 7th grade. He actually liked listening to what she had to say, she made him laugh and most of all he would actually miss her if he couldn't see her anymore. A deep sigh escaped from his longs while he stroked her long blond hair. "What you sighing about?" Becky-Lee asked him laughing.

"Nothing much." He said dreamy. "Just that I was thinking how lucky I am laying her with a beautiful, smart and funny girl like you in my arms."

"Yeah right." Becky-Lee said in a sarcastic kind of grin.

"Well yeah I think you are really special." Bo said sincere while he tried to kiss her, but she moved away and sat up straight with her back towards him.

"You shouldn't say those things Bo." She said in a sad voice.

Bo looked surprised at her with a desperate look on his face. This was not the kind of response he expected to get. "Why not?" He asked upset.

"Cause it ain't true!" She sniffed.

Bo could hear the tears in her voice and got up and tried to face her but she kept winding her head. "Why would you say something like that?" He said panicking. He didn't want her to be upset just because he tried to say something nice and he didn't quite get what made her act like this all of a sudden when they were just having fun.

She looked at him flaming eyes. "I know you Beauregard Duke and I know your reputation. You never hang around a girl for long. Now I like you and I like being with you, oh Lord help me but I can't do nothing else but like you but we both no you gonna get bored with us being to getter sooner or later. So just let us enjoy this while it lasts, but don't go and fool us both be saying stupid things like you think I'm special okay?"

Bo was shocked by her reaction. He had never guessed she thought like this.

"No, not okay. Becky that ain't fair." He said almost insulted. "You can't say you know me just because of what other people say about me. Even if what they say is true."

"Ain't it then?" She asked while whipping her tears.

"Well yeah I guess, but that doesn't say nothing 'bout you and me. Becky I really do think your special. O Lordy, I never felt 'bout a girl like I feel about you. You make my head spin when you're around me and to be truthful that scares me sometimes. Heck, I even talked with Luke about you."

"Well that don't say nothing, men are always talking bout the girls they scored." She said, but on a bit calmer tone.

"I don't mean I bragged about you." Bo defended himself. "I mean I really told him about you and how I like being with you and I don't wanna loose you."

Becky now looked at him with hope in her eyes. "You really mean that?" She asked

"Yeah I really do. Don't get me wrong now I don't mean like settling down or something, I mean I really do care about you but I'm not ready for that not by long, but I really don't wanna loose you neither." He said while wiping a tear from her cheek. "Bye the way, I didn't even score you yet so I couldn't even be bragging about that anyway. Not that I mind." He quickly added.

Becky grinned. "Yeah sure ya don't."

Bo blushed. "While maybe a little, but not a lot. It's your choice and actually I kind of respect ya for it."

"O Bo that's a really nice thing to say and I respect you for being honest." She said with a soft smile.

"So are we okay then?" Bo asked with an insecure look.  
"Yeah we are." She said and gave him a kiss on the lips. "And I'm sorry I behaved so emotional."

"Well you're a woman ain't ya?" Bo said grinning.

"Yes I am. So tell me Bo Duke." Becky said a bit smug, while tossing her hair back regaining her self-confidence again. "What exactly do you like about me?"

Bo smirked. "Hmm let me think." he said while he bowed over her, pushing her in to the grass and holding her arms pressed to the ground "I like how you're so modest and how you never ask for any compliments, but most of all." He said while giving her a kiss after every part of a sentence. "I like how you like me."

"Argh! Bo Duke, you are terrible!" Becky called out, playfully trying to push him of her, but Bo wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight in a big bear hug not intending to let her go anytime soon.

And so days past by and it became Monday. There were just 6 days before the big race that weekend. 'Cause their temporary employer had agreed to pay Bo and Luke in advance Luke left the General at Cooter's garage when he dropped of Nick that afternoon and Cooter went to work on it right away.

It hadn't taken Nick long to get used to Cooter over the last couple of days. His first task had been sorting screws and bolts which was totally boring, but did gave him the opportunity to observe the odd mechanic with while he worked. Nick didn't know much about car mechanics but he did love cars and he was fascinated by Cooter working on them. Cooter also loosened up around the boy as he saw Nick was serious about his work and gave him more fun things to do like running errands in town and washing cars.

That Monday Cooter noticed Nick was watching him again while he worked on the General.

"He Nick, if you're just standing there, think ya can hand met that fuel inlet nut wrench from that there toolbox." He asked from under the hood.

"Which one is that?" Nick asked while laying down the boxes he was stacking.

"The grey steel one with the vinyl grip." Cooter specified.

Nick took al look at the toolbox and grabbed the first thing he imagined a nut wrench would look like.

"This one?" while handing Cooter the tool.

"No that's a plier wrench doesn't even looks like it." Cooter grinned.

Nick took another look at the toolbox, almost all the tools were maid out of grey steel "This one then?" He gave it a second try.

"Nope, that's a combination wrench but you getting closer though. Just hold this here fuel line for me would ya please, but make sure it stays put."

Nick held the metal fuel line, but couldn't help letting it slip from its place. "I'm sorry." He said while trying to stop the small bits of fluid that appeared, with his fingers.

"No harm done." Cooter just said while he returned with the wrench. He took hold of the line, attached it to the engine again and wiped everything clean.

"Won't take to long before this oll car is purring like a kitten again." Cooter said looking content.

"Cooter can I ask ya something?" Nick asked with a frown on his forehead.

"Sure shoot." Cooter said while he lifted himself on his workbench swinging his legs.

"Don't ya wanna win the race?" Nick asked.

"Sure I want to, better yet, I tell you I'm gonna win it, no doubt about that."

"So why you're going to all this trouble to fix the General? Bo and Luke are your competition right? If they couldn't race, you would have a better chance." Nick reacted truthfully wondering about this. Cooter scratched under his hat before he answered.

"Well 'cause they're my buddies of course." He said in a 'that's obvious' kind of way.

"They would do the same thing for me, better yet they did ones."

"Bo and Luke fixed your car so you could race?" Nick asked not understanding why this would have been necessary.

Cooter grinned "No they raced for me ones, that is Luke did. It was quite an important race back then. I needed to win so I could sell the car I was racing in and pay the mortgage on my garage. Boss Hogg who organized the race had made the whole thing in to one big scam though. If you lost the race, you lost your car, that was in the small prints on the bottom of the entrance form. So if the boys would lose they'd lose the General and if I lost I would lose my garage."

Nick listened careful. He loved these stories. "So what happened, who won and did you get in to a fight? Must be hard to stay friends in situation like that"

Cooter smiled about the questions bursting out the little fellaw.

"No we didn't get in to a fight. While at least me not with them. Thing happened though I unfortunately broke my leg so I couldn't race, I did try of course but it wasn't working so Luke offered to drive for me."

"But then Bo and Luke had to race against each other."

"Yes sir, they had to and if Luke won I would be saved but they'd lose the General Lee. Ya can imagine I wasn't to thrilled about the situation, though the worsted things was seeing rivalry making those boy go off at each other. Now they had never raced against each other and although Uncle Jesse always told them Dukes don't fight Dukes they almost took a swing at each other."

"Just because they had to race against each other?" Nick asked.

Cooter nodded. "Ya bet, both of them have a lot of pride going around ya know and some times very short nerves. But like I said is almost became a fight but they figured out their differences were stupid and they settled them quick enough. During the race though they were both eager enough to win. I didn't know whether I was supposed to cry or cheer watching that race." " .

"But you still have hour garage and Bo and Luke still have the general," Nick said still confused.

"Yeah well it could only happen in Hazzard but they finished at the same time and made it a tie. It was nerve-racking until the end though. Bo had to cross the finish line backwards cause he lost his front gears and Luke had lost all of his engine power, like I said it could only happen in Hazzard."

"What could only happen in Hazzard?" Luke asked while he walked in to the garage. After he had dropped the General of by Cooter he had been repairing some windows for Widow Baxley, done some shopping and picked up Daisy's Jeep at the Boars Nest.

'You and Bo finishing first, both in a car that has broken down." Cooter said while getting of his workbench and bended over the General again.

Luke laughed out loud. "I guess in the end it is all in the driver and not in the machine."

"O yeah?" Cooter said a bit daring. "Want me to stop working on the General and see or ya gonna make it like this, mister hot shot driver?"

Luke grinned. "No Cooter, we couldn't do without you, ya know that. We owe you big time for all the last minute work you put in to this car."  
"Goes without saying." Cooter mumbled. "Tomorrow morning she'll be ready for you and Bo to wreck again." He said joking.

"Great." Luke said walking up to Nick and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "He Cooter, if ya ain't putting this guy to work anyway, ya mind if I take him home?" He said smirking while putting his knuckles on the top of the boy's head. With a moaning sound Nick tried to wrestle him self loose from Luke's grip but with out much luck.

"Sure, he worked hard enough for one day." Cooter said and then gave a teasing look to Nick. "But I hope that kid is one heck of a driver when he grows up. 'cause he sure ain't no mechanic."

Luke gave Nick a questioning look. Nick just shrugged his shoulder a bit apologizing "I can't help it I don't know what a nut wrench is." He muttered lightly insulted.

Luke laughed. "Like having Bo working on your car right?" He said to Cooter. "Better push it over a cliff yourself and save on gas."

"Your right there Lukas Dukas, but maybe there is some hope." And he grabbed a wrench from his toolbox. "He Nicholas what kind of wrench is this?" He said teasingly.

Nick sighed. "It's a plier wrench alright, can we go home now?" He asked, having enough of the men making fun of him.  
"Yeah we're going home." Luke said. "You just go and grab your things from the back okay?"

"Alright." Nick said and ran in to the back.

Cooter scratched under his hat. "He's funny ya know, didn't thought that the first time I met him and he tried to scratch my eyeballs out, but he's a nice kid."

"Yeah he is." Luke affirmed

"Alright I'm ready." Nick entered yelling.

"See ya later Cooter!" Luke said while putting his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"See you tomorrow Cooter!" Nick said and together they walked out of the garage.

"Cooter thinks he gonna beat you and Bo during the race on Saturday." Nick said to Luke when they were driving Dixie home.

"Yeah well Cooter is known for having an overactive imagination. Let him prove it first." Luke said laughing.

"Who's gonna drive? You or Bo?"

'Hmm we didn't decide on that yet. I think I give the honors to Bo but it won't do no harm teasing him a bit, not letting him know that yet."

Nick grinned. "Can I drive with ya'all?"

Luke shook his head. "Neh we would be going really fast kiddo."

"Yeah I know!" Nick said excided.

"It would be to dangerous and by the way the extra weight would slow the car down. When you're sixteen you can drive your own races."

"Alright." Nick sighed. "But it sucks to be a kid, can't do nothing."

Luke grinned but didn't respond.

"How's Daisy coming home now, when we have Dixie?" Nick chanced the subject.

"Enos is taking here out jukin' tonight after work so I guess he'll drive her home." Luke explained.  
"What's jukin'?"

"Going out dancing on a jukebox." Luke said as he parked Dixie in front of the farm and got out.

"Is Daisy in love with Enos?" Nick asked while Luke handed him a grocery bag to bring inside.

"You're asking a whole lot of questions today kid." Luke noticed the walked in to the kitchen.

"Only cause I wanna know a lot of things." Nick said like it was obvious.

"Well if ya really wanna know you should ask it herself, but I think she does. Otherwise she wouldn't be dating him and she and Enos go along way back." Luke said and put all the groceries on the kitchen table.

"So maybe they will get married, move out and have kids and stuff?" Nick asked again.

Luke frowned. "Could be possible and I think Jesse would be pleased if they did it in that order yes, but ya're thinking quite ahead there. Things don't usually go that fast, not even in Hazzard. But why ya wanna know all this stuff?"

Nick shrugged. "O no reason, just thinking. Can I call Ray and Max or they wanna play?"

"Check your watch." Luke just answered. Nick did and saw it was half past 5. "To late again right?" Nick asked.

Luke nodded. "We'll be eating in about half an hour, you can try after supper."

And so Nick did, but after supper his friends needed to do homework and with Bo and Luke of to the junkyard he decided to walk up to the bookcase again.

After putting Winnetou back on the shelf he watched the titles of the other books. He had to stand on his toes to read the ones on the highest shelve.

"Didn't you like Karl May?" Jesse asked from the couch.

"I did too Uncle Jesse, but I already finished it."

Jesse frowned and walked up to the bookcase. "You're sure?" He asked while getting Winnetou from the shelf again. He could see the pages had fresh wrinkles in them even at the end, but he still found it hard to believe an 11 year old would finish this book within the week. "Yeah I had a lot of time to, with Bo and Luke gone every evening. It's a bit sad and some times a bit slow, but overall I liked it."

Uncle Jesse was impressed. "Well I make you a deal, cause I don't really have a lot of books your age laying around, Bo and Luke never were great readers, but if you write me a book report on Winnetou I'll go in to town and buy you a knew one."

"What's a book report?" Nick asked.

"Well then you write down where the story is about, what is special about the book and what you liked or didn't like. You have to do a lot of them later on in high school and because you'll be going to school again sooner or later it wouldn't do you no harm to practice a little in advance. See whether you write as well as you read. What ya say?"

"Do I have to?" Nick said with reluctant expression on his face.

"I think it would be good for ya." Jesse answered with a smile.

Nick sighed. He knew that meant he had to. "Alright I will write the report." He said with out much enthusiasm. "Doesn't mean now you have to buy me a book ya know. Ya'all bought me enough." He said looking at his clothes.

"Don't ya worry about that" Uncle Jesse said "Let me just see whether I can find ya some ok my kids old workbooks you can use to write in."

As Jesse left the living room Nick sighed. Where did he let himself get talked in to?

se

At the Boars Nest Daisy's shift had come to an end. She stood alongside the bar talking to Becky Lee. "So ya like working here Becky Lee?' She asked. During work they never had a lot of time to talk.

"Well yeah." Becky said smiling, "It are long hours but I like it."

"Well good and if any of this guys is bothering you, just holler and we'll show him something."

Becky smiled she was lucky to have Daisy as her co-worker. They had hit it off since the first day they worked together. "Oh Lordy, Enos will be here in a minute and I look lousy after working all day." Daisy complained.

Becky looked at her with a grin on her face. "Daisy, I know I'm kind of new here but from what you told me, that guy wants to dance with you whole his life. I don't think he mind if you look a little worn out, what is not even true, cause ya look great as ever."

"O Becky you're so sweet. I don't know, I never cared much about how I looked around Enos but lately everything has changed."

"Alright so you come here." Becky said while she grabbed her magic purse and pulled out a brush.

"You definitely have to wear you hair down, cause it works great for you, just have to tie these front locks up at the back to keep it al together like this." And she handed Daisy a hand mirror to show her what she had done. "Becky you're an angel."

"Wait a minute I'm not done yet." Becky interrupted her. "And she reached for her make-up powder and padded Daisy's face gently. "Now only some lipstick and you're ready to knock this guy out of his boots."

Earl the bartender looked from the other end of the bar at the girls. Daisy Duke was the only girl he knew who could get her make-up done in a room full half drunken men without getting any comments on it. Most of the guys would thnk twice before annoying her.

Daisy took the mirror and put on some lipstick, but just before she finished Enos came walking in. Like time stood still Daisy froze for a moment, like she was caught. Becky Lee was so nice to take the mirror and lipstick from her, awakening Daisy from her temporary hypnoses and ending the silly looking picture.

"Hi there Daisy." Enos said when he stood in front of her beaming like always. He looked kind of trendy not wearing his uniform, but light blue jeans and a polo shirt. His hair that was normally pretty flatted by his hat had a lot more body now but was still tidy modeled.

"Hi Enos, you're looking stunning to tonight." Daisy said.

Enos blushed and chuckled a bit. "Oe well thank you Daisy. You looking great yourself but well…that ain't much of a surprise cause your always looking great."

Beck Lee giggled a bit in an 'I told you so kind' of way.

"You wanna sit down and have a drink" Daisy asked.

Cause Enos didn't respond at once Becky interfered "Yeah sounds like a good idea." She said. " Cause if you two keep starring at each other like this you'll be blocking the bar the whole night. Now you two lovebirds just settle yourselves down and I'll get ya something to drink?"

Daisy and Enos both chuckled and sat down at a table in the back of the bar.

"Ain't Becky a great girl?" Daisy said when they had sat down.

"Ya she is nice, is she new in town?"  
Daisy nodded. "Moved here together with her parents a couple of months a go and you know what…Bo is dating her!"

"Ya kidding me." Enos said "I didn't know Bo was seeing somebody. Well really seeing somebody I mean."

"She told me a couple of days a go. But Bo doesn't know that yet so don't tell him anything cause actually I'm kinda waiting or I can tease him with it on of these days."

"Bo Duke having a steady girlfriend, that's something new." Enos grinned.

"Yeah it sure is." Daisy affirmed but became silent as Becky-Lee came to bring their drinks.

"One root beer for the gentleman and a special cocktail for the lady, first round is on the house."

"Thank you sugar." Daisy said sincere knowing 'on the house' mend she or Earl was paying for it, 'cause Boss Hogg didn't allowed any drinks to be given away for free.

Daisy tasted the cocktail and had to cough right away. "Woho I think that little girl wants me to be dragged outside in stead of walking."

"Well I'll carry you anytime you want me to ya know that." Enos joked.

"Don't ya mind me drinking?" She said suddenly wondering this. "I mean you never drink yourself."

"O no don't be crazy, I don't mind at all, I just chose not to drink myself."

"Why is that anyway?" Daisy asked realizing she didn't know.

A sad look disappeared on Enos's his face and it seemed he had to gain some confidence before telling her. "Well you know my mama died when Lizzy and me were still kids right?"

"Yeah she had a heart attack right?" Daisy said not quite understanding where Enos was heading.

"Yeah well, that's what dad told us and everybody else for that matter. Until I came home really drunk one night after a party. I think it was after we won the state football championship, Luke was there too, not doing much better. My dad had to drag me of the floor cause I didn't made it to my bed. The next morning he sat me down to have a talk. He told me what really happened to my mother. It seemed mom was never really happy. There was no special reason for it but she just was never happy and to overcome that she drunk or took some pills or sometimes even both. We were to young to really notice something. Of course we noticed she had bad moments in which she even could be angry to us and I know Lizzy maid a drawing at school ones of mom with a glass in her hand, because she just didn't knew better, but really knowing we didn't. Dad said he tried to help her and make her stop but then she would get mad and even more unhappy, so he just let her to it, cause he couldn't stand seeing her upset."

"Oh Enos she didn't…" Daisy said feeling sorry she had brought op this conversation.

"No, she probably didn't intent to kill herself. Dad said she wouldn't do that to me or Lizzy and if she did she would've left a note. Probably it was just an accident, to many pills together with to much vodka." Enos swallowed for a moment and took a sip from his root beer.

"Dad wasn't really mad at me and he didn't forbid me to drink from then. He said it ain't alcohol that destroys people but that people destroy themselves, that's why he always kept running shine even after mom died. He just wanted me to know what alcohol could do to you and that you're suppose to be mature about it. I guess after hearing the story I decided on my own I didn't want to drink no more. You never know what genes can do to you."

Daisy took Enos hand and laid it in hers. "I'm sorry I brought this all up, I didn't wanna make you sad." She said sincere. "I didn't know."

"Oh it doesn't matter. Actually I'm kind of glad I told ya, cause I never told anyone before. I never wanted to tell anybody but I don't wanna have no secrets for you Daisy, you're to important to me."

"You're very important to me too Enos and you can tell me anything ya want and I won't tell nobody if ya don't want me to. Ya can trust me on that."

"I know I can, but if ya do wanna talk about it to somebody I guess you can tell it to Uncle Jesse. I think he might know something, 'cause of dad and him being friends and otherwise I'm sure he won't tell nobody."

Daisy still felt a bit bad about bringing the subject up but somewhere she was also a little glad she had.

"O I almost forget I have something for ya." Enos said while he got a little white box from his pocket. 'Now don't scare, it ain't a ring." He said in advance.

Daisy looked at he little box with big eye's

"Oh Enos you shouldn't have."

"I know, but I wanted to." He said smiling.

Nervously Daisy opened the box and looked at a beautiful silver bracelet with little roses on it and little shining stones in-between them.

"But this is really expensive!" Daisy said. "I can't except this."

"Well I think I would be kind of insulted if ya didn't" Enos joked. "It was my moms, and I want you to have it."

"But Enosmyou know I'm a country-girl, always busy with my hands and stuff.. What if I lose it or I break it?"

Enos shrugged his shoulders. "Than that would be a shame, a real big one, but I wouldn't be up-set and I still want you to have it."

Daisy stood up from her chair, sad herself down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck to give the deputy a big and long kiss on the lips. "Enos I love you." She mumbled just hard enough for him to hear while holding her forehead pressed against his.

"You really mean that?" Enos asked like her loving eyes weren't prove enough.

"Yes I do." She said and gave him another kiss. As she looked at Enos he had a weird kind of look on his face and his eyes were widely spread. "What's the matter?" She asked a bit startled. "Something I said?"

"Oh No,,, or actually yes …I mean" Enos stumble. "I mean I love you to Daisy, but I'm just trying really hard not to pass out and ruin this moment." He said like he was truthfully afraid of fainting.

"O silly you." Daisy said smiling and getting of his lap. "What about a dance would that keep you on your feet?"

"I think it would." Enos grinned back, acknowledging the situation was funny.

And so they moved to the dance floor, dancing fast on the Dierx Bentley and Lynard Skynard songs and slow at the music of Joe Nichols. And while they danced in the middle of the Boars Nest and Daisy had her head resting on Enos's shoulder she felt as the queen of the ball.

At the farm the phone rung and Jesse answered. Nick who was sitting at the table listened careful. "'Duke farm, Jesse speaking…..Ah ha….Yes I see that…..well Luke ain't home at the moment and…..Just a moment please." Jesse looked up from the phone and held his hand over the horn. "Nick would you get yourself ready for bed please." He asked gentle.

"I ain't aloud to hear right?" He said but without arguing any further he got up from his chair and walked to the stairs.

"Thank you." Jesse said to him and continued the conversation.

Because of Bo and Luke being home late the last couple of days Luke hadn't been up to Nick's room no more check up on him, but tonight he did. He wasn't surprised to see the light was still on as he walked over to the room. More surprised he was not to see it go out when his footsteps noticeably came closer to the kid's bedroom.

Luke gave a short nock on the door and then walked in. He saw Nick standing in front of the window holding something in his hand.

"Ain't you suppose to be in bed a long time ago?" Luke said while he stood besides the boy and also looked through the window

"Couldn't sleep." Nick mumbled.  
"And how's that?" Luke asked  
"Don't know, just couldn't."

"Well standing up here ain't gonna help you, come on in bed with ya." He said while he pulled back the blankets from the bed.

Nick sighed and stepped in to the bed still holding something in his hand.  
"What ya got there?" Luke asked while he sat down on the side of the bed.

"Nothing special." Nick said, hiding the thing under the blankets.  
"Don't ya wanna show me? Ya don't have to I was just curious." Luke said

"Well I guess ya can see it." Nick said a bit hesitating but pulled out an old wrinkled photograph and handed it to Luke. Luke saw a men and a woman standing next to each other holding a baby and a little fellaw which was obviously Nick about 6 years ago.

"That's ya family right?" Luke asked already knowing the answer.

Nick nodded. "Only thing I got left from them."

"And the baby that's Thom?"

"Yep he's much bigger now of course."

"Where did they take this picture?" Luke asked.

"Uhm I think it was on a birthday from my aunt. My mother's sister. I remember the beginning of the day was nice but later on my mom and her family got in to a fight and we never went back again. Didn't saw much kinfolk at all after that."

Luke nodded, he didn't want to stereotype nobody but a look at the picture did tell a lot of Nick's family story. The first thing he noticed was that nobody was laughing. Second thing was the nice looking outfit the mother wore while Nicks clothes looked like they could fall apart any minute and his shoes had wholes in them. The father didn't showed a lot of warmth. The large man with a lot of hair on his face had his cap pulled over his head this low you could barely see his eyes and he didn't even lay a much as a hand on the boy's shoulder he was standing next to. Luke didn't want Nick to know what he thought and so he just smiled and handed him back the photograph. "Nice picture." He said "Better hold on to it very well."

"How was working on the junkyard?" Nick asked to change the subject.

"Well wouldn't wanna make a career out of it but it was okay. I heard you finished your book already."

"Yeah and now Uncle Jesse wants me to write a book report, but I rather read then write."

"While I think it is pretty great ya doing it. I won't be such a great step when ya go back to school."

Nick shrugged but then smiled. "You know I'm using your old workbook to write in?"

Luke nodded. "Yep saw that when I read your work."

Nick had been a little surprised about Luke immediately reading what he had wrote down. "Well it ain't finished yet, but anyway I looked through your old work to see what a book report was supposed to look like, but I didn't see a lot of work done, only drawings from cars and engines." Nick said grinning. "And some conversations you Enos and Cooter had on paper about ditching the next English period."

Luke smiled. "Well I guess you're right to say English wasn't my favorite subject." He said while going with his hand through his hair in a apologizing way. "I was better in physics and Math and stuff, but I was always sure to pass it although barely."

"I don't like going back to school. Rather help out on the farm or garage. I mean I like reading books and stuff, but I don't like having to do assignments on it. And working on a farm you just learn right? You don't have to go to school for that?"

Luke smiled while he got up and stood beside the bed. "Working on a farm is fine, but going to school gives ya a choice in case one day you change your mind. And besides that. You shouldn't underestimate farm work now. It's more than just doing chores all day. So I'm sorry to disappoint ya but either way school would be a necessity. "

Nick shrugged. "Guess so but I still am glad I don't have to go now."

"That's okay, hey what about you and me going fishing tomorrow afternoon after chores?"

"Don't I have to go to Cooter's than?" Nick asked surprised.

:"Hmm, I think he won't mind if I ask him or I can borrow ya for a day."

Nick yawned and stretched himself. "That would be cool, but only if Cooter don't mind 'cause I did promise I'd be there."

Luke smiled. "I'll be sure to ask him." He said "Think ya be able to get some sleep now?"

"Yeah I guess I will." Nick said while putting the picture on the table next to his bed."

"Good, see ya in the morning then. Good night."

"Good night Luke."


	10. Chapter 10

Down at the Boars Nest Daisy en Enos were still having an amazing night. A bit short of breath from dancing they had grabbed themselves some barstools and settled themselves at the bar. 'That was great." Daisy said with a broad smile. "I never knew you were this good a dancer."

"Well I've had enough time to watch others doing it." Enos said grinning.

Becky Lee brought them another round of drinks and together they watched Pete Summer, make a fool out of him self by taking the microphone and singing to a girl who really didn't want to have anything to do with him.

"O poor Pete." Daisy said sincere seeing the girl turning him down.

"O don't feel sorry for Pete." Ernie said from behind the bar. I have seen him do this at least fifty times to fifty different girls. I think they're starting to see through his routine.

Daisy took a sip from her coke. Although Enos had said he didn't mind her drinking, after the story she kind of didn't feel like it anymore. That didn't meant she wouldn't drink anymore at all, but tonight she didn't want to. She looked at here watch. It was almost twelve but she didn't wanna go home yet. "Enos I wanna go somewhere and do something silly but I don't know what." She said.

"Well we could go for a right in my car and see if anything silly comes along, but where would you like to go then?"

"I don't know, it's just that I'm so happy I wanna do something like going outside on the street screaming my lungs out, or singing so everyone can hear it.."

Enos looked at here and smiled. "How could this girl ever be his?"

He stood up and walked behind her while she was still sitting on her barstool so and he wrapped his arms around her, giving her a kiss in her neck. "Everything you want honey, but I better get us out of town then. Wouldn't want you singing wake up all the neighbors that would be disturbing the peace."

Daisy grinned and came of her stool. "Like peace ever lives in Hazzard." She said soft and after Enos paid for the drinks, they walked out, their arms wrapped around each other.

Morning came at the Duke farm, but it came a bit early to some peoples liking. It had taken Nick still a couple of hours before he had fallen to sleep the night before and he was still very tired. Luke and Uncle Jesse had both already knocked on his bedroom door, telling it was time to get out. Both were given a not so happy groan as response indicating the boy was awake, but after half an hour there was still no trace of the kid.

Bo was pretty much of a morning person, that is, if they hadn't been to the Boars Nest the night before, so he was cheery as ever when he knocked on Nick's room and walked in whistling. Nick who couldn't handle that much happiness in the morning hided away under the blankets as far as possible when he heard Bo come in.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty." Bo joked as he stood in front of the bed. "Breakfast is almost ready."

"No thanks I'll skip breakfast, wake me up for lunch." Nick mumbled form under the blankets being very serious. Bo grinned and pulled the blankets away.

"Hey! What you did that for?" Nick screamed out in frustration being shook up by the cold air and trying to get his blankets back."

"Good morning to you too buddy." Bo grinned while throwing the blankets back on the bed. Come on get yaself dressed we'll be waiting for ya."

"No really, I don't want to, have breakfast without me. I just wanna sleep some more." And again Nick hided under the blankets turning his back towards Bo.

"Come on kiddo, ya have to get out now. It will do you no good lying in bed half the day."

"I don't care and leave me alone." Nick snapped

Bo sight. He didn't had Luke's patient for things like this and if it wasn't for him having promised to get the boy out of bed, he would have walked away, just letting the boy be.

Again Bo tossed the blankets and lifted Nick from the bed up in the air and dragged him over his shoulder. Nick was fighting him kicking and screaming feeling embarrassed to be carried around like he was some little kid. "Bo would you put me down!" He screamed out hitting with his fist on Bo's back. "If I don't want to eat, I don't want to eat, now put me down ya hear."

"Well then ya won't eat, as long as ya appear at the table." Bo said cranky while he walked to the bathroom still carrying the boy over his shoulder. "And will ya keep it down? Daisy is still sleeping."

Now Nick got definitely upset. "Why is she aloud to stay in and I'm not?" He cried out.

"Cause you're still a kid and unfortunately have to do as you're told." Bo said while putting the kid down on the bathroom floor. "Now you think ya can get ready yourself in about 10 minutes or do I have to put ya under that shower myself, pajamas and all?"

Nick sighed and figured out he had no choice. "Alright, alright I'll be there in a sec." he moaned "Would you get out now?"

"As ya wish kiddo." Bo said and left the bathroom.

Ten minutes later Nick was sitting at the breakfast table still not very cheerful. Jesse's cooking made up for a lot though. If he had to sit here anyway, he decided, he could eat just as well and Jesse's bacon and eggs were sure a good medicine for his morning mood.

"Why is Daisy still in bed?" Nick asked at Jesse "Is she sick?"

Jesse shuck his head. "No but she was home really late tonight and she has to work again this evening so we just letting her sleep for awhile." He answered kind.

"Can't remember we ever have such luck." Luke mumbled jokingly to Bo. Jesse heard what Luke said but only gave his oldest nephew a stern look.

Jesse put everyone's plates on the table and said grace. Nick made sure not to make a sound and even closed his eyes during grace but wasn't really praying with them and didn't say 'amen'. "So when are we going fishing?" He asked Luke.

"What you think of after lunch.' Luke responded

"Great I bet ya I catch the first fish again!" He said enthusiastic.

"And after ya apologized to Bo for being rude back there."

Nick sighed; he already had had the idea he wouldn't get away with that as easy as it seemed.

He looked at the blond young man who sat in front of him across the table. . Bo didn't seem up set or mad or anything so he kind of wondered why he had to apologize, but he figured he'd better not argue. "Sorry Bo, I was just cranky. Didn't intend to be mean to you."

Bo smiled, also thinking Luke was pushing this one a bit. "That's okay kiddo, just know next time I will put ya under that shower and it will be a cold one." He said grinning.

"Cute Bo, real cute." Nick muttered like he had heard the Duke Cousins say more then once. The other people at the table couldn't help laughing.

After breakfast Bo and Luke started chopping wood and Jesse and Nick took care of the dishes. Nick's mind was wondering of constantly causing him almost to drop a plate. "You thinking of something?" Jesse asked him. "Yeah kind of." Nick just responded.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Nick doubted. He didn't know of Jesse would appreciate the questions he had.

"Luke told me ya head trouble sleeping to night, does it has something to do with that?" Jesse asked again when he wasn't given a response.

"Eh...No not really." Nick stuttered a bit. "Well maybe a bit eeh I don't know, just that I was thinking about God."

Jesse raised his eyebrows for a second, he didn't expect that to trouble the boy.

"Now that's a good subject to think about, so what's bugging you?"

"Well, please don't get me wrong, I don't mean to be rude or anything." Nick said in advance, thinking the subject might be a bit tender since what happened the day he came to the farm.

"But I don't think he exists"

Jesse thought for a moment and then smiled. "Sure he exists, and he's there for you too if ya need him." The old man said caring.

"But how ya know that for sure? I mean not like he's showing himself or something."

"How I know huh…well I know because I do see Him showing Himself a lot actually. I see Him if I look to my kids and I remember how lucky I've been to have them. And I see Him if I think back of my late wife Lavinia and how many happy years we've got together and believe it or not I even see Him in you asking me this questions."

Nick frowned and looked at Jesse with questioning eyes. How could he have anything to do with God?

"I know this might be a bit complicated for ya and I don't expect ya to understand immediately." He said with a soft smile while placing his hand on the boys head for a second. "But let me tell you this. I know God exist the most of all because He lives in my heart and because of that I just know it. I can feel it. But if ya lock your heart He can't get in and ya can't feel Him. So ya have to open up your heart if ya want to."

Nick still wasn't ready to give up. "But why is he making all this bad things happening then? Cause if I was God I would make sure everybody was happy"

"Ya would, wouldn't ya?" Jesse said with a soft smile. "I think it's very difficult to make everybody happy, but I think God is trying to. Just that some things just have to happen for a reason, for a bigger purpose."

"Why can't everybody be happy? Lots of people are praying right? If He just answered their prayers I'm sure they all be happy." Nick said convinced things would be as simple as that.

"Sure it would, but what if all those people asked for the same thing? Like winning the lottery? He would have to disappoint a lot of people to make one person happy. And a lot of people ask for things that just ain't good for them. Ya got to thrust God knows what's good for ya and he will give ya what ya need. "

"Did you ever doubt he exists or not?"

Jesse nodded. "Yes I did, when I was a young boy. I guess everybody doubts ones in a while and that's okay. Without doubt there is no choice and without choice there is no free will and God did give us free will to use it."

Jesse could see on Nick's face he was going to theoretical on the kid. "You know what why don't try it yourself for ones." Jesse said while he handed Nick the last plate. "Why don't ya ask Him something ya really want? Something that's realistic. See whether he hears ya."

Nick frowned he didn't really know about that.

"Give it a thought, ya don't have to tell me or ya did it, or what it was ya prayed for, but think about it. Ya might be surprised."

Nick climbed on a chair to put the stack of dried plates he collected, in the top cabinet. "Alright, maybe I'll do that, but I'm not sure yet what I should ask about." He said while getting down again.

Jesse smiled "I'm sure ya think of something. Now why don't ya go see whether Sheila is in for some exercise?" Jesse knew Nick loved the horses and he had let him walk Sheila on a lead now and then, him not being able yet to ride alone.

"Alright. I'll do that." Nick replied enthusiastic.  
"Ya know how to put the halter on her right?" Jesse asked just to be sure.

"Yes sir not a problem." And he wanted to run out of the kitchen when something came to mind.

"Uncle Jesse?" He said hanging in the doorpost. .

"Yeah" The man responded.

"How do you ask God something?"

Jesse smiled. "Just fold ya hands, close ya eyes, say what ya have the say and end with a sincere Amen."

Nick smiled and left for the stables. As he was standing in the Sheila's box putting her halter on suddenly he heard a loud noise. Sundance, the mare standing in the other stable was kicking against the stable door. Nick walked out to take a look.

"He girl, what ya doing, making all that noise?" He tried to reach her head with his hand, leaning over the door, but she reared up her hind legs almost kicking his hand. Nick, kind of scared bye her reaction, made sure Sheila's stable door was shut and run to the farmhouse, calling out for Luke.

Bo and Luke, who were still chopping wood, were alarmed by the boy's voice and came walking towards him.

"Luke Sundance is acting really weird. She was up on her hind legs and everything." Nick said when the man had reached him. "Did something happen what could scare her?" Luke asked while they walked in to the stables. "Not that I know of, I was just making Sheila ready to go for a walk" Bo and Luke stood in front of Sundance's box to check the whole thing out. The mare did look nervous and she was shaking her head in a weird kind of way.

"Howdy there little lady." Luke talked to the horse while he took the halter hanging on the stable wall and walked in the box. "Ya sure ya wanna do that?" Nick asked not at ease. "What is she rears up again and kicks ya?"

"She won't." Luke said convinced.

He stroked her neck and padded her gently. "Something bothering ya girl? Better take a look at ya then." He put her halter on and walked her out of the stable where there was more space.

"Ya think something is wrong? Bo asked with a worried face.

"To be honest I have no idea." Luke said. "I don't know much about horses accept from how to ride them. Maybe it's just her hormones."

Suddenly Sundance began to move uneasy and tried to get loose from Luke's grip. Luke had to put all his strength in it to hold her down.

"Some hormones." Bo reacted. "Better get Jesse to look at her." and he ran of to the farmhouse.

"Why hormones?" Nick asked when Luke seemed to have regained grip on the mare.

''Cause she's with foal." Luke responded, looking worried at the horse.

"Something we can do?" Nick asked.

Luke shook his head. "Neh just keeping her calm and let Jesse take a look at here." Suddenly Sundance let herself drop down on the ground and Luke had to give her some more lease

"Could it be she's having her foal now?" Nick asked

"That would be really early. It's hard to predict when a mare will give birth but this would be very early. I would give her at least another month maybe even longer."

Nick nodded. When Uncle Jesse walked up his face looked stressed.

"I already called Otis-Jay." He said worried. "I don't like the way she's lying down like that."

Knowing there was nothing they could do just standing there Bo went back to chopping wood and Nick went on with what he had been about to do, walking Sheila around, while Jesse and Luke stayed with Sundance.

It took Otis-Jay Harkins about 20 minutes to get to the Dukes farm. When he arrived he took a look at the mare. He took her temperature, touched her belly, listened with the stethoscope, but couldn't find anything unusual. He also looked at her feet and legs wondering of that would be the problem but again couldn't find anything.

"Nothing I can see from here Jesse." He said when he came up from the ground. "Think its best when I take her with me to the clinic to make some pictures from the little one."

"Any long guesses what it could be?" Jesse asked.

"No not really. If I look at her like this I think she looks pretty large. Could be the foal is a bit to large for the mommy to handle and that could cause Dystocia at birth. Both Jesse and Luke knew that wasn't a good thing and that it was dangerous for both the mare as the foal.

"Just as possible though something else is bugging her and maybe it's just a colic condition, also I think not. In any case I would like to get her home with me."

"Alright lets get her in that trailer of yours then." Jesse said not to pleased with the whole situation. The three men helped the horse on her legs again and walked her to the vet's trailer. Nick who already had brought Sheila back to her stable stood next to them and watched.

"He there Nick." Mr. Harkins said after the trailer door was closed and Sundance was ready for transport.

"Didn't see ya around the tree house for a while. You and my boys ain't in some kind of fight there are ya?"

"No sir, we're not." Nick said rubbing the back of his head a little shy. "Just that I did something stupid and because of it I can't go to the tree house in the afternoons. But in a couple of days I can again."

Otis-Jay laughed. "Well that would be nice. We are looking foreword to having ya over at the house one of these days. My boys told me how ya didn't bale on them when those punk-kids came by. We appreciate that."

Nick didn't really know how to react on that. It hadn't been such a big deal. He thought with Max and Randy being his friend, not baling on them would be obvious.

"Wasn't much." He just said. "But I would like to come over once. Can I?" And he looked at Uncle Jesse.

Strange enough Uncle Jesse didn't seem to know what to say immediately. "Yes I think ya could, but better wait with making appointments. Ya can call about that anytime. Mr. Harkins has to go now and look after Sundance"

Nick just shrugged his shoulders and figured he would make the phone call later that evening. Although he had liked working in the garage eventually he had missed playing with his friends.

Otis-Jay said good bye to everyone and the Dukes went back to there chores. Nick walked in to the kitchen where he found Daisy, still a bit sleepy sipping coffee.

"Hi sugar." She said "Was that the vet's trailer I saw driving by."

"Yep he's gonna take a look at Sundance cause she's behaving weird."

"Ow that's too bad."

"So where did you and Enos go last nigh?" Nick asked curious.

"Well first we went to the Boars Nest. And after that he drove us to Atlanta just to get some ice-cream." She said with a dreamy kind of smile.

"You drove to Atlanta to get ice-cream?" Nick asked disbelieving "At night?"

Daisy nodded giggling. "Yeah. In Atlanta they've got an ice-cream shop which is open 24 hours a day, so we went there."

"Daisy do you think you and Enos ever get married?"

Daisy was kind of surprised by that question. "Why ya asking that sugar?"

Nick shrugged. "No reason, just wondering. But what ya think?"

"I'm not sure , I mean I love Enos a lot and he makes me really happy and I would like to marry him the way I'm feeling right now, but those things take time. Ya have to be with each other a while before ya make that decision."

Nick seemed to be a bit disappointed. "Yeah that's what Luke said." He responded.

"Sure there is no special reason for you asking that?" She asked while moving her hand through his hair as she got up from her chair.

"Yeah I'm sure." Nick said not really convincing.

Not really knowing what he could do, he just wandered around a bit, until he saw Bo working in the barn. He was moving boxes in and out like he was searching for something and had to make room. Nick climbed up the hayloft, which covered about half of the barn, without Bo seeing him, and laid there flat on his tummy observing what the blond man was doing.

After watching him for awhile Nick thought there should be al lot of more fun to gain from this situation. He waited for Bo to come a little more close and then pushed some hay over the edge, seeing it fall right down Bo's neck and in his hair.

Nick giggled while he saw Bo slap him self on the shoulders trying to prevent the hay from falling further down his shirt, but ducked as soon as he saw Bo look up. Nick realized it wouldn't be long before Bo would come upstairs to check out what was happening so he decided he had to act immediately. While Bo was still staring upstairs he pushed a whole pile of hay over the edge, causing Bo to look right in to a flood of hay falling over him. Nick slid down a pole and watched Bo flapping his arms wildly trying to prevent the hay from touching him. "He Bo you hitting the hay already?" He said laughing out loud.

"Well you little….." Bo scolded as he saw the young boy laughing. Nick realized he'd better ran for his life and took of as fast as his legs could carry him. Bo wasn't about to let him get away with it that easy though and started a hot pursuit. Bo's legs being much longer than Nick's it didn't took him long to catch up with him. "Thought that was funny huh." He said while grabbing him around his waist and taking the boy in some kind of wrestling clutch. "Well yeah actually I did." Nick said still laughing but also moaning a bit by the strength of Bo's grasp. "Well see of ya think this is funny." He said with an evil smile and started to tickle the kid without mercy. Nick was screaming from laughter and tried to wrestle himself loose, but Bo's grip was way to strong so the only thing he could do was letting himself drop on the ground. "Bo stop that!" Nick cried out, grasping for air while he had his back pushed to the ground and tried to escape from Bo's hands squirming

Bo wasn't about to give him a brake though and pressed Nick's arms down with his legs and sat on top of him. "Not so tough now huh squirt?" Bo said grinning, making sure he wasn't really hurting the boy with his weight.

"I ain't no squirt!" Nick reacted not even in this situation loosing his pride.

"O no, seems to me you are." Bo said and started tickling again. Nick screamed his lungs out.

"Alright, alright. What ever ya want." He said panting from fighting back. "Would ya let me go now?"

"Hmm, doesn't sound really convincing." Bo grinned mean and tickled him again.

"Bo please!" Nick cried out not knowing how long he would last.

"That sounds more like it." Bo smiled and got up and offered Nick a hand. The boy was still panting when he was up on his feet again. While he wiped the dust from his clothes he suddenly pulled an awkward face. "Oh no." He said looking at the rip in his shirt. "Daisy ain't gonna like that." Knowing this was his 3rd shirt he tore up in a week time.

Bo looked at him with sympathy and slapped him on the shoulder in a brotherly way. "Don't worry about it." He said comforting. "Just blame me as she gets riled up."

"But I started the whole thing." Nick said not knowing why Bo would wanna take the blame for it?

"Yeah well, I'm older ain't I?" He stated like that said it all

Nick smiled. He guessed that was how it must be to have an older brother. First having your hide but later on saving your neck.

"Come on." Bo said, "Lets clean up that mess in the barn."

After lunch Jesse and Bo and Daisy took off for town as Luke and Nick went fishing.

At the fishing pond. Luke sat on the ground and leant against a large tree. He looked smiling at Nick who stood besides him and tried to improve his swing. Luke realized that with this boy on his side he would never catch a lot of fish. He just rambled on about anything. Luke remembered how he could get angry with Bo when they were young. Bo being to young to go fishing alone, Jesse made sure Luke would take his younger cousin with him but Bo never could keep his mouth shut for about more then 20 seconds.

Now he could only smile about the little fellaw next to him.

"Ya know I've been thinking about becoming a farmer right." He said serious to Luke.

"But I don't think I'm gonna do that."

Luke grinned. "And why's that?"

"Cause ya have to get up way to early every morning!" He said with a tired face.

"But I already found something else I could become."

Luke knew he didn't have to ask what that was because the boy would tell him anyway.

"I'm gonna be a professional racecar driver. Ya don't have to get up early for that and ya don't have to go to school for it either."

Luke could do nothing but laugh about the serious tone the boy spoke in.

"You do have to know how to drive real good." Luke added, trying to sound just as serious, not wanting the boy to think he was making fun of him.

"Yeah I know that, but I'm gonna practice real hard and if I'm sixteen I'm gonna jump my car over a creek, just like Bo does."

Luke grinned. "Sure ya will, better make sure you have a good car by then."

"Well I can borrow The General then can't I?" Nick asked, picturing himself already in the orange car.

Luke sighed and a sad look run over his face. He knew he had to tell the boy now 'cause the longer he waited the harder it would be for him to accept.

"Nick listen, we have to talk about something." He said in a real serious voice.

Nick noticed the change of mood and as in a habit he became tense.

"Did I do something wrong?" The boy asked, his eye's spread a little wider as he always did when he was expecting trouble.

"No ya didn't, calm down." Luke said with a soft smile, having expected such a reaction.

"Just come sit over here for a while would ya?" and he padded the ground besides him.

Nick laid down his fishing pole and did as he was asked. He sat down beside Luke and leant with his back against the man's side, so Luke couldn't see his face, his knees pulled up to his chest. He already knew what was coming. He had known it from the time the phone rang last night. He also had guessed that was the reason they were going fishing and he didn't had to go to the garage. But as long nobody had said nothing, it hadn't be true yet and he had tried not to think about it. His little masquerade hadn't work.

"I have to go back right?" Nick guessed while he starred at the ground.

Luke nodded. "Social services called yesterday." Luke explained. "They told us it's becoming time you go back to the orphanage and they can find a real foster family for ya."

The boy grabbed a small stone from the ground and threw it in to the pond.

"When?" he just asked.

"Next Saturday, after the race."

"Back to Albany?"

"If ya want, but The Hazard County Orphanage also had some space left, so you can chose."

Nick sniffed. "Not much of a choice." He muttered.

Luke understood what the boy felt and he wished he could make him feel better, but he knew he couldn't.

"Guess it's not." He just said in a supporting voice.

It became quite at the pond

In Nick's head thoughts were spinning around. He felt really low and most of all he just wanted to cry out of anger, but his dad had always said boys didn't cry and he didn't want to let Luke know how upset he was. He had known from the start this moment would come, but still he used to have a little bit of hope that if he would behave real good they would let him stay at the farm. Or well, at least as good as he could. Now he knew that had been a silly thought. This family wasn't any different than the others. All good and nice in the beginning, but in the end they wouldn't keep him.

Luke felt Nick's mussels tense up. "It will be ok kiddo." He said gently while putting his hand around the boy's shoulder. "You'll be fine and you'll find a good family I'm sure."

Nick shrugged his shoulders and moved away from Luke's arm. He didn't wanna be touched at the moment and he definitely didn't wanna hear things would be alright. "I doesn't matter. I'm not going anyway." He said determined, almost putting his head between his legs.

Luke sighed "I'm afraid you have to."

Nick turned around now, looking angry at Luke. "No I won't!" he said "I don't wanna go back to the orphanage and I don't wanna go to another foster family. I'll run away again."

"You won't do such a thing" Luke said like he was sure of it.

"Yes I do! Those other people don't wanna keep me anyway, just like ya'll don't want to, so I just walk away again."

"Come on kid, don't be like this." Luke tried to calm the boy down. "It's not true we don't want you to stay. Ya know that."

"Yes it is, ya'll don't want me no more and now ya just lying to make me feel better."

"Now Nick that ain't fair to say." Luke said serious. "I never lied to you yet and I'm not doing it now. Social Services decided you have to leave, and there is nothing I can do about it even if I would."

Nick was thinking now. It was true Luke had never lied to him yet, and grownup's most of the time did.

"Well would you?" Nick asked him a bit more calm.

"Would I what?" Luke said wrinkling his forehead.

"Would ya do something about it if ya could?"

Luke sighed. "Sure I would." he said natural. "But there is nothing I can do, so it has no use to discuss that."

Nick swallowed, he was about to ask something he never had asked before, or even shown to care about.

"Ya'll could be my foster family." He said hesitating.  
Luke looked at the boy with great empathy. Although it was obvious Nick had liked living at the farm and he never hided his aversion against the orphanage, he never openly admitted he wanted to stay with the Dukes permanently.

"You know that ain't possible." Luke said soft.

"Yes it is, ya'll could adopt me if ya wanted and then I could stay here."

"It ain't as simple as that kiddo." Luke tried to explain. "To become foster parents you have to fulfill certain standards. There are procedures and stuff. Now Uncle Jesse ain't that young any more, and Bo an me are on probation. We ain't got a lot of money and just nearly enough space. We just don't look good on paper."

Nick shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want them to look good on paper, whatever that meant anyway, he just wanted a family and he wanted it to be them.

"There are a lot of other nice people who have a lot more to offer. I'm sorry." Luke said sincere.

The sad expression on Nick's face changed for a grey mask without much emotion. "Well like I sad." Nick sad noticeably cool. "It doesn't matter." He stood up from the ground and walked to his fishing pole. "Can we go to the farm?" He asked well looking over the water. "I don't wanna fish anymore."

Luke couldn't do anything else than to grant that wish and without a word was spoken they drove back to farm. At the farm, Nick ran upstairs and locked himself up in his room before Luke even got out of the car. As he knocked on the bedroom he wasn't given a response and the dark haired man decided it was best if he let the boy be for a while. With his cousins and Uncle not being back yet Luke sat him self down at the front porch moving his hands through his hair. He felt lower than a snake's belly.

Nick didn't came out of his room anymore, not even when Bo and Jesse returned to the farm with the General, not even for dinner. He just sat there thinking. Thinking of what he should do next and being angry with himself for believing in fairytales. As he heard the General's engine running again he knew Bo and Luke left for the junkyard again. He was really hungry but he didn't wanna see nobody. Not with tears standing in his eyes.

Suddenly a knock on the door woke him up from his thoughts. They had been knocking on the door ever since he locked himself up, Bo, Luke , Jesse, they all had tried to get him out, but he ignored their voices. Pretended he didn't hear them.

"Nick you still there?" Jesse asked worried, but he didn't hear anything. "Nicholas James Taylor ya have to open this door at once now ya hear me. Ya don't have to come out, and ya don't have to let me in, but I want you to unlock it right away now. Ya wouldn't want an old man have to burst a door down now would ya?"

Nick couldn't help grinning a bit sad about that, but he also believed Jesse would be capable of it. So he unlocked the door climbing back on his bed immediately hiding his face between his legs. He heard the door opening.

"Ya mind if I come in?" Uncle Jesse asked kindly

Nick just shrugged without really responding.

"I thought ya might be hungry so I brought ya your dinner."

Nick looked up for a moment and Jesse could see the pain in his eyes.

"Nick listen I know you're disappointed right now and ya don't want to be lectured but ya can't just lock yaself up like this." He said in a caring voice while he sat down next to him on the bed. "Ya had us all pretty worried about ya."

"No need for." Nick said in a low voice. "And I'm not disappointed I just don't wanna talk to nobody. That's possible right."

"Sure it is." Jesse said and just said beside the young boy not saying a word. Suddenly Jesse noticed the changes in the room. Bo's comics who Nick had borrowed lay neatly on one pile instead of spread through the whole room. The clothes Daisy had bought for him were laying folded on a chair and he was wearing the same outfit as he had come in with. His brown backpack stood in a corner ready to leave.

"Were you thinking of going anywhere?" Jesse asked him.

Nick shook his head. "No, not like running away again, but if you don't mind I would want to ask ya whether ya could drive me to the orphanage."

Jesse looked surprised. "Right now ya mean?"

Nick nodded. "Yes sir if ain't to much trouble. Otherwise I'm willing to walk just as well, it's not that far away right?"

"Uh.. No it is not, but I'm happy to drive ya if that's what ya really want but are ya sure ya wanna leave right now. Without saying goodbye to everyone?"

Nick let his head hang "I guess if I have to leave, better do it now, don't wanna be anymore of an inconvenience to ya'all."

"Son would ya look at me?" Jesse said a bit stern. Nick looked up with a shy expression on his face. "Now you listen to me very careful." Jesse said with as much love in his voice as he could. "You have never be an inconvenience for any of us and we all like having you around. So don't ya say crazy things like that. No you're our guest not our prisoner so if ya really want to I'll bring you to the orphanage right away, but I think you would really hurt Luke with that."

"He'll live." Nick said mumbling like he didn't want to be thinking of that.

"O yeah he will." Jesse said. "But believe it or not he cares about you a lot and if you left without saying goodbye you would really hurt his feelings and I don't think he deserves that or does he?"

Nick bought his head. "No sir." He mumbled feeling a bit ashamed.

Jesse sighed. "Well why don't you just try to eat something and come down when ya feel like it okay? And if you still want me to bring you, that is also okay, it's your choice."

"Thanks Uncle Jesse." Nick mumbled.

Jesse left the room and waited in the living room for the boy to come down again. But Nick didn't came down and when Jesse went back checking on him and bringing him some cookies , he found the boy fast a sleep lying on his blankets his clothes still on. Jesse smiled as he got the empty plate from the floor and snapped the light of to let the boy sleep.

At the Boars Nest Becky and Daisy were facing a quite evening. With the couple of customers they had all being served they found time to chat a little.

"So how is you and my cousin going?"

Daisy asked after she told all about her and Enos's night out.

"Well fine actually." Becky said, but a little crack in her voice told that something was wrong.  
"But…?" Daisy asked knowing Becky didn't tell her everything? "Is something wrong, ain't he treating ya right?"

"O No that ain't it, he is being wonderful sweet and nice, and oh Daisy I think I really love him."

"Well what's the problem than?" Daisy said grinning not seeing why loving somebody was a problem when that love was returned.

"Well it's me." Becky Lee said. "But I'm not sure whether I should discuss this with you, no offence Daisy but he is your cousin and I would feel silly talking about him."

"Now don't ya worry about that girl." Daisy smiled. "I know my cousins, and I know everything about them, so not al lot you'll say will surprise me. And whatever ya tell me, your secrets is save with me. I won't tell."

Becky sight, she did wanted to talk about what was going on and she didn't had much friends yet in Hazzard.

"Alright, but ya have to swear ya won't tell him okay?"

"Sure honey, I can keep a secret." Daisy encouraged her.

"Just that….me and Bo" Becky stuttered "We didn't do ….I feel silly saying it but…we didn't do 'it' yet ..Ya know what I'm saying?"

Daisy smiled. "I know what ya mean, but that's nothing to be ashamed of now is it? Lots of people wait with that. And if you would ask my Uncle Jesse he would say that's how it should be" Daisy giggled.

Becky smiled back. "I know that and I'm not ashamed of it, but well I told Bo I wanted to wait and all cause….well how'd ya say that…I wasn't sure how he felt about me."

Daisy noticed she tried to be tactful. "Well don't be ashamed of that either…Like I said I know my cousins and I know their reputations."

Becky was glad Daisy was so understanding about all this.

"Yeah I did worry about that, but now he said he really cares about me, and he thinks I'm special and all so now I'm doubting."

"Well sugar, if he said that it must be true, cause Dukes don't lie, you now that and to be honest I can't remember Bo hanging around a girl as long as he is with you now so that might say something."

Becky sighed. "But what if I say I do want to do 'it' all off a sudden while first I said I wanted to wait. What would he think then?"

Daisy giggled, she couldn't help thinking it was a little funny how Becky-Lee worked her self up about this.

"To be honest I don't think he would be doing a lot of thinking at that time at all." She chuckled

Becky grinned and she nudged Daisy playful in the arm. "O Daisy you're horrible, I'm serious, I can't just change on him right now, where would my credibility go?"

'Honey I think you're worrying to much. If you're ready, you're ready nothing more to say about that. And if ya not, ya're not and if Bo really care's about you he will understand."

"So did you and Enos …." Becky asked but braking her sentence not sure whether she good ask that question.

"No we didn't." Daisy said with a soft smile. "Heck, Enos almost faints already when I kiss him, I'm not sure what will happen if we do much more." She joked. "And besides that, I think I like wearing white on my wedding day."

Becky giggled. "Well I'm not so sure about that anymore, I've always been more of an off-white kind of girl."

Both girls laughed and shortly after returned back on their jobs.


	11. Chapter 11

That night when everybody on the Duke Farm was a sleep Luke sat out side on the front porch, holding a beer in his hand. He had been staring at the sealing for almost two hours and heard Bo fall a sleep, before he decided staying in bed was pointless. Looking at the stars he thought back about his parents, how he could drive them crazy, just being 7 years old. He remembered sitting in the headmaster's office for the third time in one week for tearing the pages out of a book so he would have finished it faster. He remembered the time he threw all the vases out of the sill with a baseball just wanting to see or he could hit him. He remembered his mama's tears as he left to stay with Uncle Jesse, he remembered his daddy's tears at his mother's funeral and he remembered his own tears of disappointment when his father told him it would be better when he stayed with Jesse even after the funeral.

He had felt really alone and even Jesse's loving embrace that evening couldn't make him feel better and prevent him from crying his eyes out.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Bo sitting down next to him. "Guessed I would find ya here." The blond man said.

"Why's that?" Luke asked with a sad smile.

"Cause you always sitting here when you're worrying more then good for ya is." Bo joked.

Luke smiled "Just thinking about, when we were kids. You remember the day you came to live here?"

"Well I was 5 years old." Bo said a bit sarcastic. "So not a whole lot."

"The thing I remembered most of all was Jesse's smile." Luke said a bit dreamy. "I hadn't seen my parents smile for a long time, because of me and because of my mom being sick, but when I came here Jesse stood waiting on this here porch smiling. Like he was welcoming a long lost friend, even though I can't remember seeing him more then twice before."

"Yeah Jesse knew how to make ya feel welcome." Bo acknowledged. "But what are ya really thinking about now? And please don't tell me it's that kid 'cause that would be the second time he would keep me up in the middle of the night and I'm not gonna like him more for that." Bo said with a grin in his voice

Luke grinned too . Bo always knew how to cheer him up. Both men took sips of there beers.

"Just that I know how he feels ya know." Luke said. "Feeling like nobody is wanting ya. Now I know that wasn't true, but still I have felt it as real."

Bo looked up to his older cousin. He hadn't heard Luke talk much about his feelings on this subject. The things he had done were conmen knowledge, but he had never talked about how he had felt during this period. "I can't help feeling like I'm letting him down." He added.

"Ya can't blame yourself about this Luke. Ya can't save the world all by yourself."

"I know that, but maybe we could save this kid."

"Now what are you thinking exactly?" Bo asked with a frown. He wasn't sure or he was liking where this was going.

"I don't know what I'm thinking Bo, but I do know I don't wanna see the boy placed from one family in to another again. He deserves his own place. His own home, just like we did when our parents died."

"You thinking of taking him in?" Bo asked taking another, bigger mouthful of beer.

"The thought of adopting him crossed my mind yes." Luke said honest.

Bo had to put all of his strength in not choking in his beer. He could have imagined taking Nick in just as they had come to live at the farm at the time, with Jesse as guardian, but Luke really offering himself to become a dad surprised him.

"Would it be such a crazy thought?" Luke asked his younger cousin.

"Well not crazy, but I just think it's not a decision you make over night. To be honest I wouldn't be ready playing dad yet, definitely not to a teenager. You're just 24 Lukas ya sure ya up to that?"

"No I'm not." Luke admitted. "And even if I was, that decision ain't only up to me. It will concern all of us having another person around." He gave his cousin a questioning look as he waited for a response. Bo understood where he was heading.

"Yeah, well ya know I ain't that fond of kids…." Bo said truthfully. "Wasn't planning on having them myself any time soon and this one is dragging 11 years of trouble with him." Bo paused and saw the disappointed look in his cousin's eyes. He sighed "But I guess it would be kinda quiet not having him around anymore." He grinned now. "And I know how much he means to you, so….As long if I'm not the one who has to do the parenting and stuff I guess I could handle a little cousin."

Luke grind. 'Even if that's means he'll be over your precious comics all the time?" He asked teasing.

Bo pulled a painful face. "I guess, but how does Jesse thinks about this? Ya talked to him yet?"

Luke shook his head. "Nope, and that's one of the things I'm doubting the most about. Jesse already did his job plenty. I'm not sure or I can ask him to live with a teenager in his house for another 9 years. He deserves some rest on his age."

"What about my age?" A sharp and offended voice sounded from behind. As Bo and Luke turned their heads they saw Uncle Jesse standing in his white long night clothing.

"If you think a man _my age_ ain't capable of making his own decisions you better think again. Just as when you think putting up with the both of ya is any less trouble than handling a kid."  
Both young men grinned. "Yes sir." Luke replied with a smile.

Bo thought it would be better to let Jesse and Luke talk together. He took the last sip from his bottle and got himself up from the porch steps. "I'm going back to bed. See ya'll in the morning." He said yawning and disappeared by going in to the house.

"Uncle Jesse did you ever doubt about taking us in?" Luke asked openhearted.

Jesse said himself down next to his nephew and shook his head. "Nope not ever." He said sincere. "I did thought about it really well every time. Wondering or it would best the best thing for ya'll. Definitely in your case, when your parents were still alive, but also for Daisy. I wasn't sure how she would do with all those men around. But I never doubted about wanting to take ya'll in."

Luke sighed. Thoughts were running around in his head.

"I think I'm not wondering about wanting to have Nick around on the farm either, but I'm just scared I can't do it. That I'm not up to it."

"Well that are reasonable doubts." Jesse said comforting. "If ya do this, there's no way back. It's a job with a lot of responsibilities, without a trial period, ya can't do it part-time and ya take it for life." Jesse looked at the young dark haired man and smiled. "But the reward ya get for it is priceless."

Luke nodded. "Just that I never thought I would ever even think about something like this and definitely not at this moment in my life. And still it's not that I want to be a father that much, just that I like having the kid around. He makes me laugh, and he reminds me at myself, but most of all I don't want him to get hurt any further. He's a good kid and he deserves the same chances as everybody else, to be happy like anyone else. I would hate seeing him never caring about something or someone and I think I would do anything to prevent that. Even if that means I have to make some changes in my life." He grinned a bit sarcastic. "Not like I had a really set plan for that anyway."

Jesse had listened to Luke's words and he felt a lump appearing in his throat. "Luke." He almost said solemnly. "That sound a whole lot like a father's love to me. Now what ever you might decide, you have my blessing as long if ya have thought it through and it might be a good idea to talk this through with everybody." He stood up from the porch. "But better do that during an early breakfast tomorrow. We still got a couple of hours sleep before dawn."

"Yeah." Luke acknowledged and he stretched himself. "Don't think that's such a crazy idea." And both man returned to their beds. Luke thoughts kept hunting him though. He did fall a sleep immediately, but his sleep was restless and it was even before sunrise when he awoke without a good reason.

'Well this is a farm.' he said to him self. 'Getting up this early ain't new for any of us.' o he got himself in to the kitchen and prepared breakfast for everybody. Although it didn't came close to anything Daisy or Jesse had ever prepared, for his doing it was pretty acceptable. He would never forget the amazed looks on both his cousins faces as he woke them up and told them breakfast was ready, but they didn't complain and that morning at the crack of done the Duke cousins and their uncle found themselves listening to what Luke had to tell them .

Not much later Nick was woken up by laughter that came from the kitchen. Although his alarm clock told him it wasn't even 7 a.m. yet his curiosity made him get out bed to check out what was happening. As soon as he walked in to the kitchen they all became quiet. Nick noticed and with that already making him feel uncomfortable he also saw they had already finished breakfast without him. Now even though he had wanted to stay in bed desperately the morning before, at this time it hurt him to see they didn't even tried to wake him up this time.

"Hey look who came out of his cage." Bo joked.

Nick didn't laugh. "If ya want me to leave just tell me, so ya'll can talk again." He didn't really sound upset, rather emotionless

"Don't be crazy." Luke said with a smile. "I actually think ya can help us."

"How?" Nick asked suspicious.

"Well we just realized we don't now your birthday." Bo added grinning.

Nick frowned. "It's the 24th of January why?" He said not understanding why they wanted to know that.

"Well if we wanna keep ya, we probably have to write it down on al lot of forms."

At first Bo's words didn't really get through to the boy who was still standing in the door opening but slowly it hit him and he couldn't believe his ears. Slowly he opened his mouth as he turned to Luke and an extreme confused look run over his face while he asked….

"Is that true?" Nick's eye's were so wildly spread they almost popped out.

"He ain't just kidding right?" He wanted to be sure.  
"Yes it is, and no he ain't." Luke answered his arms crossed, observing the boys reaction.

Nick, obvious enough, didn't know how to react.

"Why don't ya grab yourself a chair sugar?" Daisy suggested feeling sorry for they boy who seemed to be glued to the doorstep. Nick walked in to the kitchen but leaned against the kitchen sink instead of sitting down He was confused and he didn't knew whether he should be extremely happy or just waiting for the next disappointment.

"So that means I can stay here right? Really live here right?" showing a bit of enthusiasm.

"No not right." Luke said warningly. "It means we are gonna try to get custody over ya, but like I said, we don't look good on paper, so it might become a little more difficult then it sounds."

"But ya'll want to have me live with ya?" Nick said getting overexcited now. He didn't care about anything else. It was the only thing he wanted to hear.

"We sure do kiddo." Luke said. "Or ya still must want to go back to the orphanage anyway. Cause then we drive ya right away." Jesse had told Luke about Nick's request earlier last evening and it had kinda stung him Nick would have left without saying goodbye."

"Ya crazy?" Nick yelled out now. "Like hll I want to."

"Well better watch that language then young man!" Jesse said sternly.

"Sorry Uncle Jesse." Nick reacted sincere. "Just excited ya'll becoming my new foster family."

"We ain't gonna be your new foster family Nick." Luke said serious. "Sit down for a moment would ya please, cause I want you to understand this."

Nick frowned and sat him self down next to Luke.

"I'm I aloud to stay or ain't I?" He asked not getting anything of it.

Luke sighed. "Nick listen, like I said, we want you to come live with us, so we gonna ask for custody, like a foster family does, but I also told ya, that might get a little difficult gbecauses we probably won't pass procedure. I don't think they gonna let us be a foster family for ya."

"So what then?" Nick asked almost panicking. He didn't get why they bothered to tell him all this when Luke was already sure it wasn't gonna work anyway.

"Well that means that Saturday after the race we gonna bring you back to the orphanage just like we're supposed to and after that we gonna file for adoption."

Nick couldn't believe his ears. He remembered some kids from the orphanage in Albany being adopted. And after that ya never saw them again. Ya wouldn't be sent back or to another family no more. Adoption mend things were final!

"You understand what I'm saying?" Luke asked. "We're not gonna be your new _foster _family, we want to be your new _family._"

Nick couldn't be more happy by hearing that, but he didn't like the part of him having to go back to the children's home first.

"But if you all gonna adopt me anyway why should I have to go back first. I can stay here just as well right, saves everybody the trouble of moving things and stuff." He tried to sound really convinced.

Luke grinned. "Sorry kid." Luke said. "Until the papers are signed we can't keep ya hear. That would be like kidnapping remember. And it won't be all of us who's gonna adopt ya, with none of us being married it will be just one of us."

"So who would that be than?" Nick asked curious.

Luke was silent for a moment. "Well I was thinking about me actually." He said, again watching carefully for a response.

"You would do that?" Nick asked soft with disbelieve in his voice.

Luke nodded. "But only if you want to."

Nick seemed to let go of his suspiciousness to the grown-ups in the room and suddenly he got up from his chair, wrapped his arms around Luke's neck and gave him a hug. "Ya bet I want that." he said soft so only Luke himself could hear it.

Luke being totally surprised by this gesture wrapped his around the boy a little uncertain. Not like he hadn't hold the boy before, just that Nick never had flew at him like that by himself before. After what happened at the pond the boy hadn't even wanted to be touched at all and now he was almost choking Luke by his grip. As he looked ad Jesse who was sitting at the other site of the table he saw the old man's smile.

"Doesn't mean though, ya always gonna get your way as soon as ya lock yaself up in your room now ya hear." Luke said joking

Nick showed a guilty smile. "I know." And he sat back down on his chair. "How long ya think it's gonna take before everything is done?"

Luke shrugged. 'Sometimes a couple of weeks, sometime a couple of months, sometimes almost a year. Depends how busy the judges are."

Nick pulled a complaining face but didn't say anything.  
"How do ya know social services is gonna approve you adopting me then if ya think they wouldn't approve of being foster parent?"

Luke admired the boy's observation . "I don't think they will do that either, simply because they can't. There are certain standards and we don't fulfill them, but with an adoption claim a judge is making the decision and, a judge can ignore the recommendation of social services or an adoption agency, so we take it to court then."

Nick had never thought things would be that complicated. "And what if the judge says no?".

Nick asked.

"Well then the answer is no and there is nothing we can do about it."

"But that wouldn't be fair." Nick said frowning.  
"Life just ain't always fair kiddo." Bo added. "Definitely not when you're a Duke and living in Hazzard. So be sure what ya get yaself in to."

"Yeah." Daisy agreed. "When your name is Duke, better be sure to know how to handle injustice, cause it will hit ya sooner or later."

"Or your cousin will fall in love with one of the people representing that injustice." Bo claimed.

Daisy head went red and she was capable of hitting Bo real hard. "Bo Duke, Enos is an honest lawman, doing his job!" She called out angry. "If it wasn't' for Boss and Rosco he would never be after ya'all at all."

"Daisy you don't have to yell at me, I'm sitting right next to you."

"Don't you tell me what to…..!!!!" Nick grinned. Another serious conversation ending with Duke Cousins bickering at each other. He enjoyed watching it and he would enjoy it even more seeing them make up later or even better, everybody at the table ending up I laughter. He would be the one to laugh the hardest .

Yep he could get used to living her. Having an uncle, two older cousins and a DAD to take care of him. Things would turn out just fine!


	12. Chapter 12

Of course Nick decided to stay at the farm until that weekend and the next couple of day were dedicated to the race. Nick served his last couple of days at the garage and went with Bo and Luke for test drives. He soon learned that whenever Bo or Luke said 'hold on', they weren't just saying. After his noise being pushed in to the backseat he was sure to raise him self every curve or jump. Not only Bo and Luke were preparing themselves for the race. Enos and Cooter were working on their driving just as hard. One evening when Enos came over for supper again, Nick got the deputy to take him for a ride in the patrol car. Bo had made fun of him for wanting to drive in a police car. "Dukes are supposed to be chased not the ones in hot pursuit." He had said. Nick didn't cared and there he was, driving shotgun for a change in stead of being permanently glued to the backseat of the General. "So what we're gonna do Enos?" He asked excited.

"Well Mr. Boss actually wants me to be with the speed trap tonight. He suspects some really big shot country singers passing through tonight."

"Does he even make you work in the evening? You've been working all day."

:"I don't mind, the law most be preserved 24 hours a day and with me and Rosco being the only law around we're kinda busy."

"But why is Rosco ain't working at the moment than?" Nick still said thinking something wasn't right.

Enos shrugged, he had stopped thinking about that a long time ago. "Because he is the sheriff I guess. But like I said I don't mind so don't worry about it."

Nick shrugged. "Still think ya should say something of it. Can't let people walk over ya like that."

Enos looked at the 11 year old, telling him how to run his life. "Might be, but life just ain't always simple like that. Mr. Hogg is the Boss and Rosco is my superior officer so nothing ya can do about it."

"Well ya could just not go to the speed trap and say you didn't see no big shot singers coming by."

"Mr. Boss would fire me if he found out."

"Well how should he find out?" Nick said convinced. "Not like he will be checking on you, probably sitting at home warm and cozy."

Enos grinned. "Ya know kid, this kinda reminds me about high school and Luke talking me in to ditching Science class."

Nick frowned. "Was there ever any class ya'all didn't ditch on?" He asked.

Enos seemed to be thinking really hard. "Gym I think." He said not really convincing.

Nick grinned. "Well than I will have a great time at school when Luke is my dad. If I ditch a class he won't be able to say nothing of it, cause he did it himself way many times."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Enos said serious. "But ya might be right about that speed trap. What do you think about us driving out to the river and play 'cops and robbers'?"

"Sounds like a plan partner!" Nick said holding out his hand in front of Enos to

'give him five'. Enos slapped his buddies hand and took of to the river where he even gave Nick his gun, after removing the bullets of course. Though Enos started of a little stiff, in no time they were both running around like a couple of little kids. Making shooting sounds at each other and ducking for cover behind every bush or tree.

Enos didn't get fired that next day, but Boss Hogg sure wasn't happy not being able to con any celebrities and he sure took it out on his deputy. Somehow all kind of nasty office chores seemed to have piled themselves up and Boss insisted Enos did them all on that same day. Although the deputy of course didn't complain it almost felt like a break when he had to bring Boss his lunch after doing paperwork and scrubbing floors all morning. With his eyes anxiously focused on the tray, Enos walked up to Boss's office in small steps carefully not to drop any of the big pile of ham sandwiches Boss had ordered. Coming closer to the office Enos noticed the door was left open on a crack and he could hear Boss yelling at someone.  
"Now you listen to me. I want those Duke boys out of that race you hear! You make sure they won't cross that finish line or you can forget about getting paid and I'll make sure ya never race again!"

"Sure Boss." A young men's voice of which Enos couldn't see who it belonged to said. "But I still don't know why ya so upset about those farm boys and what's so special about this local race. Not like there's big money to be maid."  
"Well then let me tell ya why." J.D. went on is his passionate plead. "This little local race might just happen to be the annual Hogg's Overland Derby firstly organized in honor of my dear granddaddy Thomas Jackson Hogg." JD pulled out a big silver trophy and looked at it with admiration. The names of the price winners were engraved on small little plates on the foot of the trophy. "Now as you can see the names of the man who won the race are all on the trophy and when there is no more room, he who won the race most of all gets to keep it."

"And there is only one space left, so after this race the cup will be given a way right?" The young men said.

"Uhuh!" Boss responded more cranky then a hedgehog. "Now humor me and count the times you see the name Hogg on this here cup will ya." The young man stepped closer to look at the price cup. Now Enos, who was still listening at the door, could see the man's face. He had short light brown hair, a muscular posture and couldn't be older than 25 years old. Enos had never seen the man in Hazzard before, but still had the idea he knew him from something.

"12 times Boss." The stranger responded in a reluctant voice, like he had something better to do than stand there and count names. "Right, now count the name of Duke." JD said like said something really dirty. Again the guy bought over to the trophy and counted the names.

"Also 12 times." He mumbled. "Right!" Boss Hogg said while he got up from his chair suddenly and grabbed the trophy suddenly like someone was trying to steal it from him. "And with there only being room for 30 names on the cup, and this race being the last one, that means if the Dukes win they get to keep it and I a swear on my granddaddy's grave I rather die than to let that happen!"

At that second a couple of the sandwiches on Enos tray started to move and Enos had to balance the tray to prevent them from falling on the ground accidentally bumping in to the door, causing it to move open.

Hogg obviously shaken up by the moving of the door, hasted his overweighed body to the door and opened it with an aggressive pull.  
"Enos!!! Didn't your mother ever tell you it isn't nice to eavesdrop on people and definitely not when that person is signing your paycheck?" He bellowed.

"I ..I…I wasn't eavesdropping Mr. Boss…." Enos stuttered "I …I just came to bring you your lunch, like you requested. Look Mrs. Kinsley made you some delicious ham sandwiches." Enos hold out one of the sandwiches to Boss to distract him. "Hmm, those do seem delicious." Boss responded and grabbed the sandwich Enos was holding out and stuffed it in his mouth in two big bites. Enos looked at the other man standing in the room who was on his turn, looked with great amazing at Boss's apatite. "Now Enos you're sure you didn't hear nothing ya shouldn't have heard right?" Boss asked with a threatening tone is his voice.

"I'm positive Boss, I didn't hear nothing, I just came to bring you your lunch nothing more." Enos said still a little shaken and not feeling to good about lying to Boss." "Good!" Boss exclaimed. "And even if you did hear something ya shouldn't have heard, you'll make sure you wouldn't tell it to someone you shouldn't tell it too, like those Dukes and their pretty little cousin you have the hots for now would ya?"

"No sir I wouldn't." Enos confirmed holding his fingers crossed behind his back.

"Good!" Boss said some more at ease now and let himself fall back in his chair again. "As long as we clear about that then, I would hate to have to tell ya daddy his son is looking for a job! Now don't you have some reports to file or something?"

"Yes sir I do." Enos said obeying. "I'm at them right away sir." And as quickly as he had come in Enos disappeared through the door again. Boss Hogg grabbed another sandwich and sighed. That boy was getting harder to handle each day since he was dating that Duke girl. He just hoped Enos didn't forget where his loyalties belonged and his salary came from.

Leaning at the wall, the stranger still stood, shaking his head in a sad kind of way. Never in his life had he imagined he would be in this position and in this kind of a weird place like Hazzard County.

On his way back to the sheriff's office Enos head was spinning. Boy o boy did he get him self in deep this time. He knew as soon as he would run in to Daisy she would look right through him and see something was wrong. He just considered himself lucky she wasn't working just now. Not that it surprised him though; he had expected something like this would happen sooner or later. He only hadn't thought it would be this soon. What was he to do now? If Daisy ever found out he kept something like this from her he was sure she would never look at him again. And what if this guy Boss hired, took his job just a little too serious and actually hurt his friends in the process. It wouldn't even matter than of Daisy would or wouldn't look at him anymore, 'cause he would never forgive himself to begin with.

But what could he do? Boss had made him promise not to tell anything and he would hate to go back on his word. And what if Boss find out? He would be fired for sure and then Daisy wouldn't want him no more either. What would Daisy want with a loser who couldn't even keep his job? All his life he had wanted to be a policeman. To uphold the law and be sure justice would be served. Never he saw himself doing something else, but now he doubted. There must be more to being a deputy than dancing to Boss's strings. Definitely when the plans he had were crooked. With a sad look upon his face Enos walked in to the sheriff's station and took place behind his desk. 'One day.' he sighed to himself. "The race was hold within one day, and before that he had to think of something to prevent the Duke Boys of getting hurt and himself of getting fired.

On the farm Bo, Luke and Nick were chopping wood. Well that meant, Luke was chopping wood, Bo was walking hind and forth to supply Luke with the wood and Nick was supposed to stack the chopped pieces of wood, but was most of all just chattering on.

"Luke, when you become my dad huh, does that mean I get the same last name as ya'll?" Nick asked while again letting his pile collapse. Luke gniffled and handed the boy undisturbed new logs of wood. This last 24 hours Nick had covered them all with: 'when you're my family' and 'when Luke is my dad' questions so much they almost started to think he couldn't start a sentence with other words anymore. In the beginning Luke had tried to slow him down, reminding him about the uncertainty of the whole situation, every time the boy asked such a question, but at this point Luke had given up a long time a go. Nick just didn't want to hear it. "Yep, that is the meaning of it, or ya must have profound reasons why ya don't want to. Than ya can ask the judge whether ya can keep ya own name. Ya wanna keep ya own name?"

Nick shook his head wildly. "No…eh…not really…I mean …I wouldn't mind if I had to but ….well … I was just thinking."

"Well don't think to hard cause ya head might start hurting." Bo grinned and dropped fresh wood in front of his older cousin."

Nick stuck out his tongue but didn't say anything else. "Do you already know who's gonna drive tomorrow." The boy asked more to Bo than to Luke.

Bo's face fall immediately and in a low voice he mumbled. "I lost the toss, so Luke is driving."

"Ow that's to bad." Nick said sincere, perfectly hiding he already new Luke would let Bo drive in the end anyway. "Better luck next time."

Luke smiled at Nick's acting talent. That was one thing he should be focused on in the future. This kid could lie if he wanted to.

"Luke when you're my dad, that means that Bo and Daisy would be like an uncle and an aunt right?"

Luke sighed. "Yeah something like that, the exact name would be _'first cousin one's removed' _if ya want to make a family tree." He joked. "But I think aunt and uncle are closer to the truth."

Nick frowned and tried to figure out what Luke had said about cousin's being removed but then decided to forget about it immediately.

"Does that mean I have to call them like that than?"

"Like Uncle Bo and aunt Daisy you mean?" Luke asked.

Nick nodded.  
Luke showed his thinking wrinkle about his eyebrows. "Hmmm didn't thought about that yet. I guess that's how it should be. But why don't ya ask them what they want themselves?"

Nick thought for a second and then filled his longs with air. "Hey Bo!!!" He shouted to the blond man who was collecting wood a little bit further away.

"You want me to call ya Uncle Bo, when Luke becomes my dad!!!!"

The nervous look that disappeared on Bo's face while hearing his own name and the word uncle right behind each other said more than a thousand words.

"Never mind!" Luke now also shouted with a big grin. 'We know enough."

Later on, Daisy was at work at the Boars Nest when her eye fell on a young stranger sitting at the end of the bar. She observed him some time and noticed the pose who was well none to her as the pose of a wretched man. The way as the man was bending over his beer, his shoulders pushed foreword and his hand carrying his head told her enough. 'Hi there stranger' She said while she walked over to him. "Looks like you can use another one of that." And she pointed at the almost empty beer mug he was holding in his hand.

"Yes ma'am you can say that again." He answered while handing her his mug. Daisy tossed one of her lovely smiles and went to get him another drink. "No need in calling me ma'am. My name is Daisy, what's yours? "

The young man smiled while accepting the filled beer mug. "It's Ben. Ben Haywood."

"And what you doing here all by yourself Ben Haywood?" Daisy asked. "Never saw ya here before. You passing through or something?"

Ben nodded. "Something like that. I'm here for the race tomorrow, planning on winning it for that matter."

"O is that so." With a bit of a mocking, but not unkind grin. "Well ya better have some experience in driving then, cause this little town sure raised you a worthy competition. Most of the men here were sitting on there daddy's lap behind the wheel even before they could walk."

Ben grinned "NASCAR enough experience for ya." He said on a daring tone.

"You drove on the NASCAR circuit?" Daisy asked as much surprised as disbelieving.

"Sure did!" The young man said while taking another sip from his mug. This slightly impressed young lady standing in front of him seemed to regain him some self-confidence

"Than you must be that hotshot driver this town is talking about, for weeks. Everybody is wondering why a NASCAR driver would wanna compete is a local race like this."

As if thunder had struck him the confident smile disappeared from Ben's face and he let his shoulders hang again. "Like I said, I did drive NASCAR but that's all in the past."

The silent pose that followed told Daisy she shouldn't ask any further and dropped the subject.

"Well in any case, you're in for a pretty interesting race tomorrow I think, so don't you picture yourself winner yet." She said with a smile and let the young man be.

Not very long after this moment Enos made up his mind. He decided he had to do something 'cause with his head like this he'd never get any work done. He waited until he was sure Daisy's shift had started and drove to the Boars Nest. He didn't knew exactly what he was gonna do but he just hoped Daisy could read him like a book and figured out what was going on by herself.

It was kinda busy for a Friday afternoon and at first Daisy didn't even notice Enos coming in. Enos did notice the same man sitting at the end of the bar as he had saw in Boss's office for that matter and his heart started pounding even harder. To be sure the man wouldn't see him Enos took place at one of the tables in the back of the bar and waited for Daisy to come by him.


	13. Chapter 13

At the farm Nick had been called inside by Uncle Jesse to work on his 'book report'. Nick had done a lot of sulking over having to do 'homework' even when he wasn't going to school, but was kindly remembered to the fact saying 'no' to Uncle Jesse wasn't an option.. Sighing he grabbed Luke's old workbook from his room and took place at the kitchen table. After scribbling a few notes on the paper his mind wandered pretty quickly though. Knowing he wouldn't get much work done he pulled out the old photograph he had stuck between the pages of the workbook and stared at the picture of his family. Not knowing exactly why but he noticed the sight of his parents faces didn't gave him the same feeling as they had always done. He couldn't say what it was he felt when he looked at them, he didn't no or it where good or bad feelings, or even one of those, but he knew something had changed. Maybe it had been the talks about right and wrong by Uncle Jesse, maybe it was the way Luke could put his arm around his shoulder in a way he never experienced before or maybe it was the safe feeling this farmhouse gave him he never felt anywhere else, but whatever it was Nick felt things were different then he always thought they've had been. He had never hated his parents, and he knew he never would, but something didn't quite fitted anymore. As he moved his eyes to his baby brother he immediately noticed nothing had chanced there. Even though he almost didn't recognized his brother in being a baby. Thom had been born completely bold but after his second birthday he had grown a bunch of thick blond curls, their mother always complained about when they had to go somewhere and she tried to model it some. Nick grinned. Easy hair wasn't something that ran in the family. His own hair, though it was much thinner en straight was even now it was clean, still messy and always pointing in to different directions. Nick couldn't help wondering how his little brother would be doing. It had been months since he spoke to him last. He never told Thom about his plans to run away, he didn't even said goodbye. As much as that had hurt him he had done it on purpose. Thom possessed something special. Something wherefore everybody liked him. When their parents were still alive, Thom didn't go to school until he was six, but when he did he already had enough friends from the neighborhood he never had to sit alone or be afraid to end up without a play mate. Also adults had always liked Thom from the beginning. He was polite, funny and willing to do anything you asked him without asking any questions. Nick knew every possible foster family they had been in, had secretly wanted to keep Thom, but fell over him.

With the Yardley's things went just so. Richard and Ann Yardley adored Tommy and even better, Thom seemed to be very much attracted to them. This was kind of a special thing cause even though Thom could be friends with anybody Nick knew, except from himself, Thom never really attached to no one. Nick had found this new situation extremely difficult, not being used to having to share his little brothers love with anyone else, but it did made him try really hard to make this thing work. Obviously enough it hadn't worked even though he had tried. That was the moment he decided to take of and leave his little brother behind. The reason he never said goodbye was he knew despite of everything Thom would not have let him go alone. He was convinced the little boy would have followed him wherever he had gone and as much as he loved his brother's company, Nick decided at that time it would be better to leave him behind, giving him a chance to happiness. A kind of happiness he had been convinced he would never find anyway.

Boy did things turn out different as he had expected, Nick grinned to himself and suddenly he got a very strong urge to tell Thom about what had happened the last couple of weeks. He turned the picture around and stared at the phone number he had scribbled on the back. His hart started to pound a little louder. Would he try to give his little brother a call? Still doubting he stood up to the phone and put his hand on the horn. He wondered about Thom's response after not seeing him for over three months. Would he be upset because he had left? Slowly he gathered his nerves, picked up the horn and dialed the number.

He heard the buzzing sound a couple of time and just when he thought no one would answer the phone a familiar voice pierced through to his ears. "Yardley's home, this is Thom speaking." He heard his little brother answer the phone. Nick wanted to say something, but didn't know exactly what and somehow even the word 'hi' kept stuck in his throat.

"Hello, somebody there?" Thom's voice sounded again. Nick took a deep breath, prepared the sentence he was about to speak in his head and was just about to open his mouth when he saw Jesse walking in trough the kitchen door. Like he was just got with a thousand dollars in his hand he immediately dropped the horn back on the phone and looked at Jesse with startled eyes.

'Who were ya calling son?" Jesse asked in a kind voice but with eyes that told he noticed something was wrong.

"Uh…nobody ..uh I mean…" Nick stuttered not knowing exactly what to say.

"Well common with it, you can't be calling nobody. No use to pick up the phone then is there?" Uncle Jesse said a little inpatient.

"Uh..I meant nobody special…just Max and Randy to see or they wanna come over to play here."

Jesse frowned. "Finished ya book report already then?"

Nick bowed his head. "No not really sir." He said in a respectful way, but inside he was relieved Jesse had dropped the phone subject.

"Well no need for calling friends then is there? And you know I like you to ask permission before you do such a thing."

"No sir and yes sir, I mean I know sir." Nick mumbled.

Jesse sight and observed the boy. Nick's nervous and extremely polite way of talking told him something was going on, besides using the phone with out permission, but he didn't knew what it was.

"All right then, why don't you set yourself down at that there table, work on the report for about an hour and if you've given it your full attention during that hour you can call those boys to come over and they can even stay for dinner if they like. What you think about that?"

"Sounds great Uncle Jesse." Nick said with a soft smile.

"Good." Jesse said. "But full attention now you hear." he emphasized.

Nick grinned. "Okay, okay I will." He said while Jesse already headed towards the door.

Sighing Nick sat himself down at the table and grabbed his pencil.

"Bye the way." He suddenly heard Jesse's voice again, who had stuck his head around the kitchen door again. "Wouldn't have much use trying to call them boys sooner, they are still in school now ain't they."

Nick noticed his head turned red as he mumbled. "O yeah, must have forgotten about that."

Jesse made a humming sound en said "Uhuh, sure ya did.", but walked back in to the living room anyway.

Serving her customers their drinks, Daisy suddenly spotted Enos sitting in the back. Amazed finding him there she put down her tray and walked over to him. the troubled look on her boyfriend's face worried her.

"Honey what ya doing sitting in the back like this?" She asked while she sat down next to him. "Is something wrong?"

Enos pulled a desperate face. "Well actually there is Daisy, but I'm not sure how to tell ya."

"Well ya know you can tell me anything." Daisy said while she took his hand in a loving way. "I know that Daisy but..well things are a bit difficult and I know this won't make any sense to you but you really have to prevent Bo and Luke for entering that race tomorrow."

Daisy had to grin know.   
"Honey you know wild horses couldn't keep them away from that race. Why would you think I could do a thing like that? And besides that, why shouldn't they race tomorrow? Did you made a bet on one of their opponents or something?" She said laughing.

'It ain't funny Daisy." Enos said almost getting desperate. "Of course I didn't bet against them. Just that I'm afraid they might get hurt during the race."

Daisy was still not sure where Enos was talking about. "Don't be silly Enos." She said a bit mocking. "Bo and Luke have been racing almost there entire lives. Ya'all have raced against each other since ya were in High school. They know what they're doing."

"Daisy please try to understand." Enos said looking like he could burst out in tears any minute. "I know Bo an Luke are good drivers, but I mean I'm afraid somebody might have it out for them during that race. Somebody who wants to eliminate them from the race."

Daisy's face became a bit more serious. "What do you mean by that? Somebody who would try to hurt them on purpose? So they won't win?"

Enos nodded.

"But how would you know that?" Daisy asked. "And who would do a thing like that? It's just a local race!"

Enos sight and got up from his chair. "I'm sorry Daisy , but I really can't say nothing no more. Just keep it to I heard something I shouldn't have heard and somebody made me promise I wouldn't tell it to anybody I shouldn't tell it to."

"Well that sound like it has Boss Hogg written all over it!" Daisy said while she also got up from here chair with an angry face."

Enos grabbed both of her arms and pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry Daisy, but I really can't say no more. I could lose my job. Just promise you try to talk them out of that race. Would you promise me that?"

"Well I'm not sure I can Enos." Daisy said a bit sat. "It would be so much easier if you just told me what was going on exactly. Maybe I could convince them then, but like this…"

Enos hung his head. "I'm sorry, I cant." He said and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"Please don't hate me for it."

"I could never hate you Enos." She said while giving him a hug. "But now I have to call my cousins to talk to them and you better not be here when they get here, cause they'll be all over you when I tell them what you've told me."

Enos nodded and let go of her. "I love you Daisy." He said with a sad look while he started to walk to the door.

"Love you too Enos." Daisy said just loud enough for him to hear before he got out of reach.


	14. Chapter 14

Daisy didn't waste a lot of time and immediately called home to the farm and told Bo and Luke to come over. The three of them sat down in the back and Daisy told them what she's heard.

"But he didn't said exactly whom or what we had to be careful for did he?" Luke asked when she'd finished talking.

"No he didn't but is sure sounds a lot like Boss Hogg to me." Daisy said with despise in her words.

"Well that figures." Bo reacted sarcastically. "I can hardly remember a race without Boss trying to keep us from winning."

"Well might be so but, sounding to Enos he really means business this time."

"Poor guy." Luke said a bit grinning but none of the less sincere. "Guess he must have been in a real moral dilemma, wasn't he?"

"Ya can say that again. He said he'd promised not to tell anything and you know how he holds to his word. And besides that, if Boss finds out he while fire Enos for sure."

"Still it would have been easier if he'd told us where we should be alert on. Now it could be anything." Bo said.

Luke was thinking mighty hard, but could not think of a reason why Boss would have it out for them this time. There was nothing special about the race, and the amount of price money wasn't really worth the trouble.

"Daisy is Boss in his office at the moment?" Luke asked

"No he just left about half an hour ago. Why?"

"Well maybe we should go in and look around a bit. See what we can find." Luke answered and got op from his chair.

"What you think to find there cousin?" Bo asked while following his example

"I'm not sure, but let's just have a look. Ya never know."

Ironically enough, also Boss Hogg was one of the most suspicious men on earth, he always failed to lock his door while going out and Bo and Luke could walk in without anyone thinking much of it.

Whit Daisy on guard Bo and Luke went through the Boss's office searching for anything they could use.  
"Still don't know what you think us to find here Luke." Bo moped, while he was searching the desk.

"Just look for anything that has to do with the race." Luke said while trying to pick the lock of a filing cabinet.

For a while it looked like there was nothing to be found until Bo al of a sudden hold a piece of paper in the air. "Luke, look at this. It's the list with all the competitors." Luke walked over to the desk and looked at the list.

"Well not a lot of strangers there." Luke mumbled. "Us, Cooter, Enos, Gary Evans, Gerald Gillis, Walter Allen, Joe Perkins and some other locals from whom we haven't nothing to fear from."

"You know what's strange?" Bo commented "Rosco ain't on this list. Doesn't he always run for Boss?"

"You're right there cus, let me see again." Luke said thinking. "Well Boss his name is on the list, but is seems he has chosen another driver. Do we know a Ben Haywood?"

"The name rings a bell." Bo replied, but he couldn't think of where he heard the name before.

"He sure ain't no local, that's for sure."

The boys were quiet for awhile both knowing they heard the name before but not able to put there finger on it.

Bo walked over to the trophy which stood on the mantelpiece ready to be given away the next day. "You know Luke, I still think it's odd that a man like Boss Hogg can let another men drive for him and still gets his name on that cup." He said

"Yeah you're right. I think it was J.D. himself who made the rule that the person who pays the entrance fee would get his name on the cup instead of the driver, if those might difference from each other"

Bo shook his head. "Look how many times his name is on that cup and I'm pretty sure he hadn't driven any of them himself since he and Uncle Jesse raced against each other." he said disapproving.

Suddenly something popped up in Luke's mind and quickly he walked over to the cup.

"I think you might have found the motive for Boss not wanting us to win that race there cus."

Bo gave him a confused look. "I did?" He asked

"Yes you did." Luke said with a grin.

Bo, feeling very stupid about not knowing what he had found himself, looked at Luke with astonishment.

"Look at that cup Bo." Luke explained "Just space enough for one more name. Tomorrow the cup will be given away and if I'm correct Dukes and Hoggs are in a tie at the moment."

"And Boss will rather die than let that cup, made in honor of his granddaddy Thomas Jackson Hogg, end up in hands of a Duke now wouldn't he!" Bo exclaimed

"He sure would." Luke confirmed

"Must be something with that new driver." Bo said. "Why should he replace Rosco otherwise?"

"Well I don't know." Like said shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe just because he knows that the chance that Rosco wins the race for him is smaller than that the moon is made out of cheese."

"Or maybe because he's planning such a dirty thing even Rosco did not wanna do it." Bo guessed.

Luke shrugged again. "I don't know, but I think this is everything we're going to find here. Let's get back to Daisy."

And so the boys walked out of the office and told Daisy what they had found.

"Guess now we know why Boss is after us." Luke finished his explanation. "The only thing we have to know now is what he's up to."

"Well with Boss you never know." Daisy said. "Could be anything, like sabotaging the General or getting you two in jail before the race. He could even have hired somebody to run ya'all of the road."

"If we only knew who this Ben Haywood guy is. That would be something."

"Now that's something I can help you with." Daisy said with a smile and pointed to the bar in front of the room. "Ben Haywood is sitting on the far end of that there bar."

Bo and Luke both looked at her with amazement and then almost simultaneous turned their heads to the bar.

"You know him?" Bo asked surprised.

"He's been sitting here al afternoon." Daisy explained. "He's that big shot NASCAR driver everybody is talking about. He doesn't look like a real bad fellow to me."

"Of course!" Luke, who had been watching the man at bar, exclaimed. "Now I know where I know his name from. I recognize his face from the newspaper. Looks like he ain't such a big shot as everybody thinks he is. He has been on the NASCAR circuit, but just for a very short time."

"Yeah I know what you're talking about." Bo now also remembered. "He was supposed to be this sort of new talent, but his first couple races he blew terribly and in his last race there was a crash."

"Never heard anything about him after that." Luke added.

"Well that explains his sad appearance. Such a thing must be a blow to a man's pride." Daisy said in compassionate voice.

"Enough of a blow to throw all of it away and do a thing like working for Boss Hogg?" Luke insinuated.

All three of the cousins now stared at the young man who still sat at bar in an isolated way.

"You talked to him right?" Luke asked Daisy who confirmed his question with a small head nod "Did you told him your name was Duke?"

"No don't believe I did." Daisy said thinking back at the short conversation she had had with the man. "What are you thinking of Lucas?"

Luke scratched his head and showed his thinking face. "Think you could talk to him again and invite the man for dinner at the farm tonight?"

"Luke are you crazy?" Bo cried out. "Why should we ask that guy around if he works for Boss Hogg?"

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer Bo, never heard about that?" Luke said in a bit of a smug way. "If Daisy invites him for dinner without saying she's a Duke we can keep an eye on him. Find out what kind of guy he is. We could do our advantage with that." Luke grinned. "Bye the way, even The Bible says you have to invite your enemies to your house and give them a meal. Now who are we to disagree with that?"

Bo grinned to "No couldn't do that. But don't you think he would have recognized us by now and saw us talking to Daisy?"

"Hmm don't think so." Luke said "It's pretty crowded tonight and besides that I haven't seen him look up from that bar ones. Think he's sunken in to his thoughts pretty deep."

"Talking about crowded." Daisy said jokingly "If I don't start serving some customers pretty quickly I think they are going to plunder the bar themselves."

"Alright then we'll be hading home." Luke said and got up from his chair. "You use those Duke charms of yours and make sure that guy comes over supper okay?"

"You've got it cus." Daisy said with a smile and while she walked back to the bar Bo and Luke left the Boars Nest and headed home.

At the farm Nick had decided he didn't want to waste anymore of his time to the darn writing exercise and wrote his last couple of sentences down within 30 minutes after Uncle Jesse had left the kitchen. Not that he gave up on it, but he really didn't know what he could write anymore, already having filled 5 pages of the workbook.

Jesse sat in the living room pealing the potatoes for supper when Nick walked in. As the boy handed him the workbook, the old man couldn't help thinking back of the time his boys were still in school and would show him their homework so they could run of as quickly as possible afterwards.

"I know it wasn't an hour." Nick said a bit apologizing. "But I really think it's finished. Couldn't think of anything more to write about." Jesse looked at the pages. He was sure proud on the young boy who could obviously do a tremendous amount of work in a very short time.

"That's okay" He said. "It looks pretty good. Well done." And he ruffled the boy's hair. "Now hurry up and see or those friends of yours are home from school yet."

"Thanks Uncle Jesse!" Nick said and ran to the phone. Jesse smiled. Except from the situation a half hour earlier, Nick had been more cheerful these last couple of days then Jesse had ever seen him. Of course his careful nature made him worry about what would happen if the plans for adoption failed but some how Nick's overwhelming enthusiasm and determination even seemed to stick on him.

"I had to say thanks for the invitation from their mom, but they can't stay for dinner, 'because their Uncle is coming over." Nick said when he walked back in to the living room. "But they will come over to play for a couple of hours, so they can be here any minute."

"Well that's also nice isn't it?" Jesse said

"Yes it is." Nick replied and he sat himself down on a footstool next to Jesse's chair like he wanted to talk about something.

"Uncle Jesse did Bo and Luke had a lot of friends when they were young?" The boy asked. "Sure did." Jesse mumbled and stared for a moment like he tried to visualize all the young faces that had run down his farm door. "There was Cooter and Enos of course, who sometimes practically lived here." He started. "Luke had a group with whom he went fishing often and there were some boys from Bo's old football team." Jesse smiled. "It sure wasn't very quiet here often." "I used to have one friend back in Albany, his name was Joe. We used to go out on the streets together and………." Nick had to swallow some words knowing Jesse would not like to hear the things Joe and he had done together. "Eh…well ….hang out." "Hmmhmm." Jesse made a humming sound that showed he knew what the kid meant.

It stayed quiet for a couple of seconds but then Nick said: "Uncle Jesse, actually I'm kind of glad I don't have to do that stuff anymore."

"Well that's good to hear" Jesse said smiling while he put a hand on the boys head.

"Because nobody wants to be your friend if you do." Nick explained. "Except from Joe Thom and I never had any friends. All the kids on school used to call us thieves and scum or their parents did not allow them to talk to us."

"Well I can imagine that must have been very awful." Jesse replied sincere.

"Well it wasn't fun, but me and Thom we managed. We were always together; I had to take care of him of course."

Jesse searched the boys face with his eyes and wondered what Nick wanted to tell him.  
"You miss your little brother?" Jesse asked

Nick nodded. "I wish he could be here, I bed he would love to see the farm and the horses en he would go crazy over The General Lee."

"Well if you want to maybe we could invite him here one of these days and you could show him around." Jesse suggested. Strange enough, Nick didn't react as enthusiastic as the old man had thought and just stared to the floor.

"Uncle Jesse I have to tell you something." the boy mumbled

"Well what you waiting for? Spill it!" Jesse said in his authentic way.

"Well earlier this afternoon, I wasn't calling to Max and Randy, I just said that because…well I don't know why but……" Nick stopped talking because his words didn't make any sense anyway.

"You tried to call your younger brother." Jesse said convinced he was right.

Nick looked surprised at the old man. "Well Yeah, how'd you know that?"

"Cause you're just like my boys and I can see it in your eyes when you're lying to me, so when I called the phone office and Mabel tolled me you had dialed a number in Albany, I had my suspicions."

For a moment Nick doubted whether he had to feel offended because Jesse had checked up on him, but he realized pretty quick he was not in that position.

"So am I in trouble now?" Nick asked insecure, not really able to interpret Jesse's reaction

Jesse sight. "No you're not." The old man spoke reinsuring "Though I wished you would had told me about it fair and square instead of lying about it. You know lying is a hard habit to brake and Dukes don't lie. Besides you could have just asked or you could call him. That would not have been problem."

"Yes sir." Nick said remorseful. " I know."

"So did you talk to each other?" Jesse asked

Nick shuck his head. "No only heard his voice. I didn't dare to say anything. It has been so long since I last saw him. Maybe he is angry with me for leaving."

"Well maybe he is." Jesse said. "Or he isn't, you won't know that before you call him up. You two are brothers and brothers should always be there for each other even when they are sometimes up set with each other. Don't you think he has a right to know you're still around and not somewhere in California or whatever?"

Nick giggled, picturing himself on the beaches of California. "I don't know Uncle Jesse. I don't think I want to call him already, I would not know What to say."

"Well that is your decision and he stood up by the sound of a car that run up the premises. "I just want to ask you to be open with us about it and tell us when you do want to call him, or when there is anything we can do okay?"

"I will sir." Nick promised, well he also stood up and looked to the car with trailer that parked itself on the farmyard.

"Good." Uncle Jesse smiled and put his arm across the boys shoulder. "Let us than welcome your new friends." He said and together they walked out.


	15. Chapter 15

At the Boars Nest Daisy watched how Ben Haywood still sat at the bar and seemed to be finishing his mug of beer. Watching the fellow she was so moved by the defeated impression this man made she still could not feel any anger towards him even now she knew he was probably having it out for her cousins. She decided that if she wanted to make a move she would have to do it now. With her most authentic smile she walked up at him and reached over to him from the other and of the bar. "So tell me Ben Haywood." She said "Doesn't a former NASCAR-driver have a place to go home to at the end of the day?" "No ma'm." The young stranger replied, while he stood up from his barstool. "This here bar sure beats staring at the walls of ya'all local hotel, but since some of your regulars here told me I should not try the food in here, I'm afraid I have to go back to that grey rat hole anyway."

"Now sugar, I told you not to call me ma'm, but what the food concerns them regulars are sure right. Just mind you, it has nothing to do with my cooking, but all with Boss being cheaper than a low life skunk and not wanting to waste his money on anything that even resembles food as long as it is not for himself.

Ben laughed. "I believe you immediately Daisy and I sure am sorry I have to leave your lovely company right now, but if you would be so kind to get me my bill, I'm sure I will see you tomorrow at the race won't I.?"

"You sure will." Daisy replied while she reached for the register and handed the man his bill.

"But why don't you come over for dinner at our farm tonight?" Daisy made her move.

"My uncle is a great cook and there always a bit extra for an unexpected guest, besides I think my little cousins would love to hear you tell about your time at the NASCAR circuit. They are big car fans themselves you now, just like everybody else here in Hazzard of course."

Ben Haywood smiled a bit sad. "That's a very kind offer, but I could not accept it. I just know you for half a day and I wouldn't feel comfortable trespassing on your family's hospitality like that."

"Now sugar." Daisy sad while moving a little closer to the man without making her intentions of sweet talking him to out in the open. "You won't be doing no such thing. Now my Uncle always told us: A stranger is just a friend ya haven't met yet, and he would be quite upset if he heard I would have let you go back alone to that awful hotel. Now what ever you say, I won't take no for an answer!"

Ben sighed with a grin on his face. He didn't quite understand why this woman was so insisted on inviting him for dinner, but he couldn't say he didn't like the thought of his first home cooked meal in ages.

"Uh alright then" He replied a bit blushing because of Daisy standing so close to him. "I guess I couldn't say no to that. Now where can I find that farm of yours?"

"Well if you're patient I'll show you in a minute when my shift is over." Daisy said returning to her side of the bar cleaning her last glasses. "Me and Dixie will drive you there in person."

The young man opened his mouth to ask what or who Dixie was but actually enjoying his first day in Hazzard so far, he decided to let it be a surprise.

Somewhere in the woods nearby the Duke farm, three boys were enjoying themselves with bow and arrow "You know, Bo and Luke have arrows packed with dynamite, because they can't wear guns." Nick said while he pointed at a tree. "That's how they caught them truck robbers." "Yeah yeah yeah, and you scared them crooks away with fire crackers, you already told us for about a hundred times." Randy said a bit annoyed

"Now shoot that arrow would you, let us see what you can do."

"Alright, you got it.!" The boy said while he concentrated himself and pulled the string tide. Nick wasn't a real good shot yet, but he had been practicing at the farm. When he let go of the arrow it made a swift sound and got stuck in to the tree Nick had aimed at.

"Not bad is it?" Nick asked for his older friend's opinion. "Not exactly were I wanted it, but still not bad."

"Yeah not bad at all." Max reacted enthusiastic. "Maybe now Luke let us borrow his bow and we all know how to shoot a little we can go boar hunting."

"Don't be silly, Max." Randy corrected his little brother unkindly. "Boar hunting you have to do early in the morning and none of us shoots good enough to hit a boar. Most likely we would only wound it but in know way kill it. Let not even talk about when it notices us before we have a time to shoot and he comes after us."

"Man, what's up with him?" Nick asked Max softly while he watched Randy pull the arrow out of the tree.

"Ow he's cranky all day cause dad whooped his hide this afternoon when he found out he was skipping classes."

"Well he wouldn't have found out if you had not gone to the teacher and asked where I was." Randy said cross. "Miss Maple would never have doubted my doctors note if you hadn't interfered."

"Well if you had told me where you were up to, I wouldn't have gone asking." Max replied

"I thought something had happened when I didn't see you after school.

"Like what? Me vanishing in thin air?"

"No but maybe you had those guys after you again or what ever!" Max yelled back now.

"How was I supposed to know?"

"Because I told you not to worry about those guys." Randy bellowed. "I can handle them and I'm definitely not afraid of them."

"O and that's why you're skipping school right?" Max said definitely not impressed by his older brother's tough words "Not at all because you are trying to avoid those retards that are bugging you."

"Are you calling me a coward?" Randy said now dangerously calm while he approached his younger brother. Nick had been watching this scene with his mouth open not realizing what had caused there friendly came to almost change in to a fistfight.

"Now Randy calm down, he didn't say no such thing." Nick interfered. "Is this still about those two we met by the lake last time, we was playing ball?"

"Yeah it is." Max confirmed. "They're always on Randy's case lately, following him around, calling him names, stealing or breaking his stuff."

Randy seemed to have calmed down a bit more and released his last bit of frustration by kicking a tree

"So why they after you? Lots of other black kids they can thrash now aren't there" Nick asked.

"I don't know. Because they are idiots I guess and they can't stand dad is black and en successful veterinarian or something like that, I don't know."

Nick felt bad for his friend and wished there was something he could do. Randy saw the look on Nick's face.

"Don't get me wrong now you know." Randy said while he reached the bow and arrow over to Nick again. "It's just those two, most people here in Hazzard are real nice people, never had any of this crap. Just like I said they're just idiots, only problem is that there are two of them and they are quite big."

"Yeah I know what ya mean. They made me nervous too when I first met them. But why don't you tell your dad about them?"

"Because it will rile him up so bad, I'm not sure what he's going to do and I don't want that you know."

"And what about the sheriff?" Nick kept asking. "Can't you go to him?"

Randy gave him a weird look. "You're living with the Dukes don't you?" He said grinning. "Ain't they ever told you how bad our justice system works? If it doesn't make money, it isn't important."

"Yeah they told me. But they also told me never to run for any injustice that is done, so there most be a way then to make sure does guys will not bother you again."

"Well, if you've got any ideas let me know." Randy said. "Until that time just let us have some fun you know." And he wrapped his arm around Max in a brotherly way. "We always could pretend we were haunting boars of course." He said grinning "And I think I see some tracks right there."

Driving home to the farm, Daisy could do nothing else but noticing that Ben Haywood was a down right nice guy. He held the door for her, thanked her again for the invitation, insisted they made a stop at the liquor store so he could buy her Uncle Jesse a present for his trouble and most important of all, unlike other men he didn't try to make a move at her once or seemed to be under some sort of spell when she spoke to him. He just made friendly conversation about cars and races, the journey's he had made and the girls he had met and it was just like she was driving next to Bo or Luke. When they drove up the farmyard and Daisy parked her car next to the General Lee something seemed to change though.

"Is that your car?" Ben asked while trying to hide his shock.

Daisy had already walked up to the house en turned around seeing Ben wasn't following her. "It sure is." Daisy said. "I know he's a bit flashy but it's the best car in town. I'm sure my cousins are willing to show it to you after supper."

"Well Daisy you know eh….. maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Like I said I don't want to be intruding."

"Don't be silly you." Daisy said smiling and grabbed his hand. "You're here already no use in going away again. Come let me introduce you to my family." Ben knew he couldn't make a scene now without making himself look suspicious and so he followed Daisy in to the farm hoping nobody could hear his hart pound.

"Uncle Jesse I'm home." Daisy called in to the farm when she entered trough the living room. "And I brought us a guest."

"Well and who may that be?" Uncle Jesse replied in a friendly manner while he walked in to the living room and offered their guest his hand. "Uncle Jesse, this is Ben Haywood, he is in town for the race tomorrow. Ben this is my uncle, Jesse Duke."

"Well nice to meet you Ben Haywood."

"Nice to meet you to Mr. .Duke. Daisy told me a lot about you."

"Well only good things I hope?" Jesse said with a smile.

"It sure was sir, and I brought you a little gift for your hospitality. Now I've heard there used to be a lot of this stuff made at home in these parts so I won't think it can live up to what you're used to but well, I hope you like it anyway."

"Well that's very nice of you." Jesse mumbled while he unwrapped the whiskey bottle, removed the cap and sniffed at it. "Well you were right…." Uncle Jesse said grinning. "It not as good as the old days." And he gave Ben a warm smile. "But it will do, thank you very much I will put it in the cupboard immediately and then I will return to our dinner, otherwise you have come for nothing."

"Come, now I will introduce you to my cousins." Daisy said and again she took Ben's hand and escorted him outside to the stables. There she found Bo, Luke, and Nick who had returned home already cleaning the stables and making sure all the horses were fed. Sundance had been brought home by Mr. Harkins this afternoon when he came to pick up his boys. He indeed had diagnosed that the foal was a bit large for the mommy to handle, but if she was send to the clinic two days before the birth, things could be arranged. "Hey there boys, I want you to meet a new friend, Ben Haywood, he's going to drive against you all in the race tomorrow." The men shook hands and Ben couldn't help noticing that the blond man's handshake was not a real friendly one.

"So are these your little cousins as you mentioned them?" Ben asked Daisy unbelieving.  
"Well….technically Bo is and well… Nicolas here almost is, only Luke is older then me."

"So you are Bo and Luke Duke?" Ben asked again a bit hold back.

"We sure are, heard about us?" Luke asked.  
"Well yeah actually, people in the Boars Nest told me about ya'all. They said you were most likely to win the race."

"Then they were right." Bo reacted "So if you want to retread nobody is stopping you."

"Bo be nice to our guest would you please." Daisy said while she gave him a sharp look reminding him he had to work on his acting skills more. "He might think you don't like having him over because he'll be your opponent."

"I'm sorry mate." Bo corrected himself and gave Ben a grin. "Did not mean it like that, of course you're welcome, but you know how things can get around a race like this."

Ben grinned back. "Yeah I know, no hard feelings, like I said to Daisy before, it's very kind of ya'all having me over here. It sure beats being in that hotel or sitting at the Boars Nest"

"Are you also racing tomorrow?" Nick asked a bit surprised, he being the only one who didn't knew anything about why Daisy had invited this man to their home.

"I sure am young man and I intend to win it also."

Nick frowned and looked at the man from head to tone.

'Well in that case I'm wondering how many first prices they are going to give away then tomorrow because together with Bo, Luke and Cooter you are the fourth man how says that."

This comment made all the adult crack up so much that they seemed to forget who they were talking to for a moment that they were still laughing when Uncle Jesse called that dinner was ready.

At the table Ben's nerves seemed to kick in again. How was it possible that faith had lured him in to the arms of the family he was supposed to eliminate from tomorrows race. As soon as he had seen that orange car that exactly fitted the description Boss Hogg had gave him, he knew he had been in trouble. Now why hadn't that daned bargirl said her last name when he'd met her. He already disliked his job as much as he did, seeing how nice this family was didn't exactly make his work easier. But he didn't have a choice. He needed the money Boss Hogg was offering him, as friendly as the Dukes seemed to be, he could not let that stand between him and his goal. The only thing he didn't know was how much this family knew about him. Would they know he drove the race for Boss? Did they know that meant he was hired to stop them from racing?"

"So Ben, Daisy told us you've been on the NASCAR-circuit. Ever met Cale Yallborough?" Luke said while he reached for the mashed potatoes.

"No can't say that I have. Have seen him in action a couple of times though. That man sure can drive."

"Yeah we know. When he and his daughter were here he sure showed us something." Bo said full of admiration. .

"Cale Yallborough was here in Hazzard?" Ben asked disbelieving.

"You bet." Daisy answered. "Bo and Luke knew him from when they drove NASCAR and so they got to talk."

"You two also drove at NASCAR?" Ben said having the feeling his eyeballs rolled out of his head from astonishment. Boss Hogg had never told him that.

"Check that cup on the mantle peace in the living room." Luke said while he pointed through the opening of the kitchen door. "We've been there for about a year, a couple of years ago, but returned here again when we were needed."

"Have you been on the track a long time?" Bo asked

Ben had to think of something to say "Eh no….not that long….uh just like you other things came in the way, which I had to attend to."

'That's too bad." Daisy reacted.

"So what kind of car ya own?" Nick asked, wanting to contribute to the conversation.

"Well I'm not exactly owning a race car at the moment, but the one I'm driving in tomorrow is a Ford Mustang."

"So how you get the Mustang?" Nick asked not knowing he came pretty close to the forbidden subject.

"Well eh…" Ben stuttered. "It's from …from the men I'm driving for."

"So who ya driving for?" Nick asked again before anyone could say anything about it.

Luke new that if he would interrupt they boy now, it would be obvious and he decided he let the conversation run his course.

"Well…eh….for the man who organizes the race Mr. JD. Hogg. He hired me to drive for him." Ben thought that saying so much could not do much harm. If the Dukes did not expect anything this fact would not alarm them and if he did they would have known it already."

"Why would you do that?!!!" Nick asked with a disgusted face. He had been long enough on the farm to be fully indoctrinated if it concerned the name of Hogg.

"Well ehh…." Ben did not know how to react on that.

"What Nick here tries to say." Uncle Jesse added while he shot Nick a reprimanding look for yelling at the table like that. "Is that when it normally concerns J.D. Hogg not much good is going around and foul play is waiting just around the corner."

"Well I don't know about that sir." Ben said hoping nobody noticed the sweat he felt braking out of every part of his body. "Mr. Hogg just hired me to race for him, nothing more then that."

"Nobody is saying anything else." Luke replied. "Just that we want to warn you, Boss might have some very sleazy plans and you don't want to be dragged in to that."

Quickly Ben Haywood took a bite of the chicken that laid on his plate so he did not had to react on that and just made a vague hand gesture that could have meant anything.


	16. Chapter 16

After dinner everybody went outside to the front porch where they had watermelon as desert.

"So I guess you'll be driving that orange car aren't you?" Ben asked while he pointed at the General.

"Yes sir." Bo replied. "That's the General, never let us down before."

"The General Lee can fly over a creek." Nick said while he was wiggling his legs to get the porch swing in to movement, not noticing that Luke sitting next to him kept his feet firm to the ground which made his effort in vain

"Now don't you go spill all our secrets kiddo." He said grinning while he ruffled the boy's hair. "Now just because Ben here is a nice guy, don't forget he's the competition."

"Well not like there is anybody in Hazzard who could not have told him." Bo said defending his little friend.

"You know Ben, after the race there is always a town fest with al kind of famous country singers. You think you'll be hanging around long enough to go there?" Daisy asked.

"Not sure about that yet, like I said I'm just traveling through and I have to be on the road after the race again."

"Well that would be a petty." Uncle Jesse reacted. "We always have a lot of real good singers coming to town. It's even said that Mickey Gilley is coming again same as Jerry Lee Lewis."

"Who are they?" Nick asked curious.

"You never heard about Mickey Gilley and Jerry Lee Lewis?" Bo exclaimed laughing. "Boy, have you mist something then. Daisy can you get that tape-recorder and that Mickey Gilley tape you keep in the drawer of your bedside table?"

"How you know that!" Daisy said amazed.

"Well how else am I going to find that dairy of yours if I don't keep searching for it?" Bo grinned

"Bo Duke you are terrible!" Daisy shouted but then smiled and walked in the house to get the tape. All her family members knew Daisy didn't kept a diary anymore since she was 18 years old. But it was a fact although Bo would have deserved an A for effort; the times he had actually found her diary were few.

Not much later the tape recorder was playing loud and Bo asked Daisy to dance on _'Don't all the girls look prettier at closing time'_ and '_city lights' _while the rest finished their watermelon. Ben, who had been watching everything with great joy, was a bit astonished when Daisy took his hand and pulled him up his feet to dance with her, but proved himself a fine dancer.

Unfortunately, fun could not last for ever and evening chores had to be done. Nick was already heading to the kitchen to do the dishes when Luke called him back. "Nick, why don't you show the General Lee to Mr. Haywood here. So he can see where he is up against tomorrow."

"Yeah you bet!" Nick said enthusiastic and run to the General waiting for a softly smiling Ben Haywood who scuffed after him.

"Well this is the General." Nick said. "Bo and Luke build it themselves and it's the fastest car in Hazzard."

"It sure looks fast." Ben agreed.

Nick maybe had not been such a good mechanic but he had learned a couple of thing at Cooter's and one of those things was that, men always wanted to look under the hood of a car if they had the change, so he popped the hood and showed it to Ben.

In the meanwhile the Duke family had used the time to stick their heads together. "Now Luke I don't wanna doubt you or anything." Bo said while he looked worried in the direction of the General "But are you sure it is a good idea to let the man, who is hired to make sure we can't race tomorrow, alone with our car?"

"Take it easy Bo." Luke said. "I'm convinced he won't try to do anything with the General as long as Nick is there watching him and we have to give him the feeling we don't expect nothing don't we?"

"But we don't trust him right?" Bo asked just to be sure. "I mean he looks down right nice and stuff, but Enos saw him talking to Boss so, he must be up to something."

"Well you don't know in what kind of angle Boss has him Bo." Daisy tried to defend Ben. "Remember how Boss forced Cooter to disable ya'all from that race? Couldn't it be he did the same to Ben?"

Luke shook his head. "I don't know Daisy. Ben isn't a local you know. What kind of hold could Boss have over him? It looks like he had to come to Boss himself."

"Well if you ask me, he looks pretty different then all them other crooks Boss has hired in the past." Jesse commented and stood up from his chair "Doesn't mean we should not keep a close eye on him though. But first let us make sure all things are done around here. If I'm correct them stables still need finishing" He said while he gave Bo and Luke a familiar look.

"Yes sir, we're at it." Bo said and the two men left the house.

Now Jesse was an old man and with those years came some knowledge concerning people.

If he thought of a person to be good they most of the time were and if he did not trusted a person then most of the time there was a reason for that. Now in this case Jesse wasn't quite sure what he thought of the young man who was a guest in his house today, but like always he was ready to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

Slowly he walked up to the orange racecar were he still found Ben listening to all Nick had to say about it. "Hey Uncle Jesse!" Nick greeted him

"Hey son, how is it going?" Jesse said smiling while he reached his hand through the car window and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Just wanted to let Mr. Haywood hear the General's horn." Nick said

"Well what's stopping you?" Jesse grinned. "Let him hear it then."

Nick did not hesitated and within seconds the Dixie Horn echoed over the farm yard.

"Sure is al hell of a car." Ben said impressed.

Nick glanced automatically at Uncle Jesse and saw the old man frown but not saying anything.

"You should not say Hell in front of Uncle Jesse." He whispered while he reached over to Ben's ear. "He doesn't like that at all."

"O I'm sorry Sir." Ben said with a big grin playing the game along. "I meant to say this is a real fine car."

"It sure is." Jesse replied, softly smiling understanding what Nick had whispered. "You know my boys have built it from the ground. Ever since Luke was 16 they've been working on it and drove more races in it then I can remember."

"Well then they had quite some practice. No wonder everybody thinks they are liable to win the race tomorrow." Ben said while he got out of the car and stood besides Jesse.

"Well if you drove NASCAR you're not quite a rooky yourself now ain't ya." Jesse said

Ben grinned. "No I'm not; I think we can expect a Hell of a race tomorrow."

Immediately Nick shook his head in unbelief and hit his forehead with the palm of his hand like he wanted to say "Ow what kind of idiot is this guy."

Ben laughed out loud at this little piece of theater and made an apologizing movement with his hands. "A real exciting race, I mean of course."

Even Jesse had to laugh now and slapped the man's shoulder.

"So Ben you've still got any family around?" Jesse asked just to make conversation.

"Only a sister and she lives in Columbia North Carolina, I go and visit her now and then."

"Wouldn't she have liked to see you race tomorrow?" Nick asked through the window still behind the wheel of the General.

"Neh she has seen me race plenty and Columbia is a long way from here."

"So why Hazzard?" Jesse asked. "Why choose this town to race?"

Ben shrugged "It was on my way and I heard Mr. Hogg needed a driver, so I thought I'd be stupid to let the opportunity pass."

Ben was quick with answers but something in the way the man wiggled his hands made Jesse wonder.

Jesse bit his lip for a moment while thinking. "I know I already told you this during supper." the old man said than. "But I can't keep myself from telling you again. I know this man you are driving for almost whole of my life, he even used to be my friend ones, but when it concerns JD nothing good can come of it. This man would sell his own mother as it made a profit and cheats even with a friendly game of checkers. Maybe you should think about whether the money he's is paying you is word that risk."

Ben stared for a moment buy then steadied his gaze and looked at Jesse.

"I've just been hired to drive a race, that's nothing more then I've done many times before. I can't see why that should be a problem Mr. Duke."

Jesse sighed but than nodded. "Well I'm sure you're the best judge of that." He said. "I just wanted you to no for certain what kind of man you are driving for." Then he looked at his old pocked watch he kept in the front pocket of his overalls and turned to Nick who immediately let himself glide down the car seat as if he wanted himself to disappear.

Jesse grinned. "It's almost 9 buddy, time to get in to the house and get ready for bed. If you jump in those pajamas already I'll make you a bedtime snack. "

"But Uncle Jesse….." Nick said in a complaining voice. "I'm not tired yet and tonight is my last night!"

"I know sport." Jesse said understanding. "But even then you need your sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day."

"Please Uncle Jesse!" Nick begged not showing any sign of wanting to clime out of the car.

Jesse did not respond but crossing his arms and giving Nick a very sharp look.

Nick knew in advance he would not have a chance to win this argument and the chances Jesse would lat him stay up later were zero, bur something is his head told him not to give in.

"I don't want to go to bed Uncle Jesse, please it's not fair." He cried out. "It's my last night. I won't be able to sleep anyway. Can't I just sit with ya'all in the living room? I will be very quite I swear!"

Jesse was losing his patience and raised his voice. "Nick, stop your nagging at get out of the General now." He said stern. "You're going to bed and that's it, now I don't want to ask you again." If Nick had been in his right mind he would have known this was the sign to move in to house as fast as he could, but somehow an old habit seemed to snug bag in.

"No I don't want to!" he said loud while he crossed his arms in an insulted way. "And you can't make me!"

Apparently that was the drop that did it because just in a fraction of a second Jesse placed one hand in the boy's neck and one around his upper arm and forced him to get out of the car. Now although Nick had the good sense not to fight Jesse's grip, the angle he was in giving him every opportunity to wrestle loose though, he didn't gave in easily.

"It's not fair! It's not fair, it's not fair." He screamed while he got out of the car and gave Jesse a defiant look.

As soon as Nick was standing with his feet on the ground Jesse grabbed the boy by the arm, pulled him close to him and gave two firm swats on his behind with his freehand.

Not expecting the sting Nick immediately let out a screech and started to cry.

"Now what in tarnation is this all about!" Jesse said as he had spun the boy around to face him.

"I'm sorry Uncle Jesse but I don't wanna go to sleep!" Nick repeated in a sobbing voice.

Jesse was amazed by the stubbornness Nick displayed all of a sudden.

"Now Nick I already told you to stop complaining once and if I have to do it twice I'm going to put you over my knee for real, is that what you want son?"

"No sir." Nick said while he searched the ground.

"Then do as you are told and I want to see you, washed, brushed, wearing pajama's and in bed, within10 minutes. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Nick repeated meekly still sniffing away his tears.

"Well git!" Jesse said firm and watched the young boy run of.

During the argument Ben had respectively stepped back thinking a person should not interfere in this kind op family situations and had turned away from them to save Nick the embarrassment of being watched. After Nick had run in to the house he turned himself to Jesse. "Big temper for such a small boy." Ben joked

Jesse nodded and sighed. "Well Mr. Haywood let us see or that gift of yours not only smells good but taste good as well."

Ben grinned. "Sounds like a mighty fine plan sir."

As all the grown-ups had gathered themselves in the living room for a small drink after a hard day of work Jesse quickly went upstairs to check on Nick. He found the boy as he had ordered

in bed wearing his pajamas, but he was laying on top op his blanket hiding his face in his pillow. Jesse sat next to him on the edge of the bed and rubbed his back. "So little-one." He said in a soothing voice. "Do you think you can tell me why you decided to give me such an attitude right there?" He said while he kept rubbing the boys back and neck.

"I'm sorry Uncle Jesse." Nick said and although his words were muffled by the pillow Jesse could here the boy was still crying. Gently Jesse rolled the boy over to face him and whipped the tears from his face. "Apologies can wait son." He spoke truthfully. "First tell me why you get yourself so workup about all of this."

"Because I really don't wanna go to sleep." Nick said looking the old man in the eye.

"Yes I got that much." Jesse said trying hard not to smile. "But why is that today so important to you that you are willing to get your last evening on the farm ruined for it."

Nick did not reply to that question but turning his head and staring to the wall.

"May I take a guess then?" Jesse suggested.

Nick nodded 'yes"

"Could it maybe just be so that you don't want to go to sleep because you don't want it to be tomorrow to fast?" Jesse said stroking the boy's hair.

"I don't want it to be tomorrow ever." Nick responded still looking at the wall.

Jesse sighed. He had hoped that the race would be enough of a distraction to at least minor the boy's worries about the day to come but apparently it hadn't worked.

"Well then I'm very sorry to have to tell you this my boy, but even if you would stay up all night, unless you're able to persuade our Lord to stop doing what he has been doing for all eternity, tomorrow will come anyway."

"I know that." Nick said displeased. 'Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No it doesn't" Jesse agreed. "But it also doesn't mean you can be disrespectful because of it."

Nick sighed he knew Jesse was right. "I don't know why I did that sir." Nick said and he rolled on his stomach again to hide the tears in his eyes. "I knew it wouldn't get me anywhere anyway. But sometimes it's just like this voice inside my head tells me that if I want something I have to make sure I get is. Only it's not really a voice, more like a feeling. The feeling everybody is against me anyway."

I became quiet for a moment.

"Nicholas look at me." Jesse said softly, but Nick didn't move. "Look at me!" Jesse said again but stronger this time. Nick turned his head to Jesse and looked up with sad eyes.

"Nick do you think I'm against you?" Jesse asked seriously.

"Uncle Jesse please…." Nick said already sorry he had admitted his thoughts.

"No just answer me Nick; do you think I'm against you?" Jesse repeated.

"No I don't." Nick said in an 'if I have to say it way."

"Do you think anybody on this farm is against you?" Jesse asked further.

"Uncle Jesse…." Nick whined

"Answer me!" Jesse said in a way that did not accepted disobedience.  
"No sir I do not." Nick replied again fighting tears. '

"And do you think that if I tell you to do something like today I do that because I want to be mean to you?"

"No sir." Nick repeated.

"Do you think anybody else on this farm would ever want to be mean to you?" Jesse kept asking.

"No sir." Nick replied feeling very embarrassed at the moment.

"And why is that?" Jesse asked.

Nick was confused. "I don't quite understand sir."

"Why aren't we against you Nick? Why don't we wanna mean to you and why aren't we out to get you in any possible way?" Jesse clarified.

Nick wrinkled his forehead. He understood the question, but good not think of an answer.

"I ehh I don't know sir."

"Well think harder then." Jesse encouraged.

"Uh..Because Dukes never are mean to people?" Nick guessed not knowing anything better to say.

Jesse grinned. "Because we _love_ you." he stated almost spelling it out. "Everything we do, we do because we love you and because of that we can never be against you because something done out of love can never be done to hurt you even when it's it something you don't like."

The words Jesse spoke reminded him of the way Luke had talked to him the time they had been standing a long the road in the middle of the night, and he guessed that if both Luke and Uncle Jesse thought like that it most be true.

"I'm really sorry Uncle Jesse, for not doing what you said and being disrespectful."

"That's okay come over here." Jesse said softly smiling and pulled the little man in a hug.

"Now listen closely you hear." He whispered next to the boys head that was resting on his shoulder, like it was a secret that only he should hear. "If you ever feel like everybody is against you again I want you to remember the questions I just asked you and the answers you gave me just now and repeat them in your head as many times as you can. Think you can do that?"

"I can try." Nick mumbled.

"You do that." Jesse smiled and pulled back the blankets. "Now get in to bed you."

Nick got under the covers as he was told. "Uncle Jesse, you know I love ya'all too right?" he asked a little insecure.

Jesse reached over and kissed him on the forehead. "I know that son." He said gently. "And I'm very glad about it, now go to sleep."

"Good night Uncle Jesse."

"Good night kiddo." And Nick saw Jesse leave the room and heard his footsteps down the stairs. As he lay on his back he figured what an idiot he had been. "Not only had he ruined his last night at the farm by being rude to Uncle Jesse, getting his bud swatted and loosing the chance to say goodnight to everybody on the farm but he also missed out on one of his favorite things in the world. Having milk and cookies in the living room! Men he was such an idiot!


	17. Chapter 17

In the living room all the adults had gathered for a toast on the race with the whiskey Ben had brought. Some stories were told and some jokes were made but as soon as everybody had finished his glass, they decided to call it a night and because Ben insisted on going back to the hotel instead of spending the night at the farm Ben took of driving Dixie, on witch they had agreed he would return at the race tomorrow. Just a few minutes later all the Duke cousins and there uncle left for their bedrooms making sure they were rested well enough for the race that kept everybody's mind spinning.

That night, around 2.00 A.M leaves were softy rustling as a male figure wearing gloves and a ski mask moved quietly along side the Duke farmhouse hea ding for the barn. Suddenly the man was startled by a sound and swiftly he ducked to the ground to make himself small and disappear behind one of the small bushes. He kept still behind the bushes for a couple of minutes until he was absolutely sure the sound could have been nothing more than a bird or a rodent. Slowly he got up and moved closer to the barn scolding himself this was not his kind of job. His fingers felt the gun he held in his pocket. He definitely hoped he was not forced to use it but if he had to he knew he would. There was just too much at stake for him to back out.

His eyes were used to the darkness for some time now, 'cause walking up to the farm had taken him some time. He hadn't wanted to drive to close to the farm, afraid that it would wake the residents so instead he had parked somewhere a long the road and walked the last end. Finally he reached the entrance of the barn. The people who lived here most be very trusting people cause the doors of the barn were wide open and they had even let their keys in the orange race car that was parked in it. He pulled a small flashlight out of his inside pocket and searched for the cap that let to fuel tank. As he found it he kneeled next to it and pulled the cap of and searched for something in the canvas bag he had dragged over his shoulder, which made a sound of rustling paper. The man sighed as soon as he took the paperback that was filled with some kind of substance in his right hand and leaned over to the car. Suddenly he heard loud moving noises from behind and he jumped on his feet to see who was there, but because his eye were now used to the small amount of light created by the flashlight he could not see clearly besides a body moving.

"You don't wanna do that Ben." He heard a familiar voice say but when he turned to where the voice came from a bright light blinded him and he could see nothing else but the hand holding the light. In panic Ben lunged for the light, but missed and before he could do anything he felt a hard blow in his face, beating him to the ground.

"So what were you thinking of doing to the General Ben?" The voice asked while he dragged him of the ground and pushed him against the wall.

"You've got a mean right hook there Luke." Ben said rubbing his face being sure he most had broken something somewhere. "You knew that I was coming tonight didn't you?"

"I head my suspicions." Luke affirmed "Hoped you wouldn't actually you seemed nice enough. Guess you shook and jived us real good."

"Well hate to disappoint you then" Ben said not really sincere. 'Now let go of me Luke, before bad things are going to happen."

"It doesn't really seem you're in a bargaining position here mate." Luke said while he tightened his grip.

"Don't be to sure about that." Ben replied and got the gun out of his pocket and pushed it against Luke's lower stomach.

"Now let go of me before I have to shoot you Luke." Ben ordered

Luke had not expected Ben to carry a gun and as soon as he felt the metal pushing his belly he let go of the man.

"Okay it seems I was wrong, but don't do anything stupid now." Luke said while putting his hands in the air and stepping back slowly.

Ben lifted the gun so it pointed at Luke's chest and forced him to move backwards. "I'm sorry Luke, but I guess since you ruined my plan I have to take the General with me. I can't let ya'all win that race tomorrow."

"Well if you want that, you first have to pass me now don't you!" Ben startled as he heard the new voice from behind and turned to see where it had come from. Of course Luke grabbed this chance to lunge for the gun but Ben did not let himself be overpowered that fast this time. Quickly he moved a side, kicking Luke in the stomach as he had been stretched out to reach for the gun. Luke doubled up and this gave Ben the opportunity to take another step back and now point the gun at Bo. "Enough already!" Ben yelled, not at all liking how this evening was going. "Now both of you to the wall!" Bo and Luke both did as the man said and stood beside each other against the wall. "Well done cuz." Bo grumbled "I kinda expected you to get that gun, not to get your ass kicked." "Well if you had been a better diversion I might have actually had a chance."

"Shut up you two." Ben yelled again not getting how these two could still be bickering at each other even when they were held at gun point. "Now look I'm real sorry, cause ya'all are real nice people, but I have to tie you up to be sure you'll stay put while I'm taking the General." He went on while he tossed them a rope that he had pulled out of his bag.

"Weird way of showing you're sorry." Bo said resentful.

Ben sighed. "Look I ain't got time for explaining and you would not get it anyway so Luke you just against that pole and Bo you tie his hands behind his back and make sure they are tide around that pole."

Just for a moment it looked like Bo was grinning

"Sorry Luke." Bo said while he got the rope. "But the man is holding a gun."

"So what you planning to do with the General." Luke asked with an annoyed look on his face while he let Bo tie him up.

"I'll ditch it somewhere way back so when you go look for it you will find it sooner or later, but not before I'm long gone and the race is over."

"How generous of you." Bo replied, finished with tying up Luke "Now what?"

Ben seemed to be thinking how he was getting the both of them tied up him not being able to lay the gun down. "Use this knife to cut the end of the rope and tie it around your own hand. The go and sit against that pole in the same way as Luke is."

"You know you're not getting away with this right? People are going to be wondering if we don't show up at that starting line in the morning. Now way you're going to keep us here and drive that race yourself without somebody is finding out."

"Well I guess I have to find a way, now do as I told you." Ben said annoyed moving the gun like he was aiming more preciously."

"Alright, alright, no need to get tense now." Bo said and did as the man had instructed.

As soon as Bo settled himself against the pole and held his hand behind it Ben dared to kneel down next to him, putting the gun on the floor to tie Bo's hands. Just seconds after he finished the last nod, again there were moving sounds and quickly Ben reached for the gun.

"Whoever's out there, show you're face." He yelled while he kept the gun pointed to Bo's face.

"Well no need for yelling like that, you wake up the whole darn farm." Jesse's familiar voice scolded while the farmer stepped in to the light "And I don't take it kindly that you point a gun at my nephew either Mr. Haywood"

Ben thought he was going crazy. This was not how he had planned this at all. How could everybody on this God forsaken farm know he would be coming here tonight.

Ben moved his aim to the farmer and grabbed his bag from the floor.

"I'm sorry Mr. Duke, but I have to ask you to go inside the farm with me, where I have to lock you op."

"Well that's the second time I hear the guy say he's sorry." Bo said to no one in particular. "Haven't they ever told you it's better to be save than sorry?"

Ben ignored him and moved closer to Jesse who was still standing in opening of the barn. He was surprised to see the farmer didn't make any sign that he was ready to cooperate.

"Why don't you just put down that gun Ben and we can talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about sir. It's my duty to make sure none of you is entering the race tomorrow and I would like to do it without hurting anyone but if you force met than….."

"Than what Ben?" Jesse said looking deep in the man's eyes. "Are you going to shoot us? Are you going to shoot me? Is that money Boss is paying you worth so much, you are willing to kill for it?"

Ben didn't answer the question. "Please just walk with me Mr. Duke so none of us have to find out."

"Ben your plan to fill this here fuel tank with sugar failed." Jesse said while he pointed to the paper back with sugar that had fallen on the ground. "Your not dealing with machinery now, you're dealing with people and you're in over your head. The police will be on your tail every moment from now. How will you handle that?"

"You forget I'm hired by the county commissioner himself. The law in on my site." Ben argued, but he noticed his argument sounded weak.

"There are more law enforcers then just this sheriff's department son. There is also the state police and they will only hunt you harder when they hear JD is some where involved in this. And like I told you earlier this morning, JD is not a very loyal person. If he'll feel the heat he'll rat you out in a second to save his own hide."

Ben was silent for awhile. Why had this job to be so complicated? It was not like it was the first time he had to do something like this. People paid him to win a race, sometimes he had to cut a fuel line here and there, sometimes he had to do a bit of dirty driving, but never would anybody get seriously hurt, never would anybody have any serious prove against him and more important never would he know any of his opponents. What the fuck happened that caused him to hold a gun pointed to some poor farmer he had just had diner with.

Jesse could see the desperate look on the man's face and he knew he was getting somewhere.

"Now Ben maybe I'm wrong but I've got a feeling you're not the kind of person who does this kind of thing because he likes to, so why don't you just put down that gun, untie my nephews and maybe we can find a way to solve your problem together."

The offer seemed tempting but Ben did not know what to think.

"Ya better listen to the man Ben." Bo said from his pole. "He tends to be right a lot."

"You don't understand, I need this job, I need this money so I have to win this race."

"So how much is JD paying you actually? A million dollars?" Jesse asked with a sour face. If anything, the power of money disgusted him and most of the time he was just plain grateful that they didn't had a lot of it lying around.

"Yeah tell the man, Ben. How much is your soul worth to you." Bo grumbled.

"You just shut up!" Ben screamed at Bo while he pointed the gun at his head.

Jesse would be ready to strangle his youngest nephew, who definitely could not control his emotions like so many other times.

"I'm not going to stand here and arguing any further." He said while he changed his aim to Jesse again. "Mr. Duke I'm going to ask you nicely one more time. Walk with me to the farmhouse please."

"Nice going Bo!" Luke hissed to his cousin

But as Ben walked up to Jesse the farmer did not move an inch. Jesse was about to take a gamble.

"Well Ben, if you want to go through with this it will mean you have to go and shoot me 'cause I'm not intending to let you get away with that car."

It became dead quiet in the barn, like everybody had stopped breathing. Ben Haywood's eyes narrowed as he lifted the gun a bit higher and he pulled it sharp………….


	18. Chapter 18

Uncle Jesse….Maybe you ought to listen to the man." Luke said getting pretty nervous.

"Yeah." Bo replied weakly. "It's just a race."

Both men had not counted on the current way that things were going. They had not thought of Ben to be really dangerous, not even thinking about him carrying a gun. But now, when he held their uncle at gunpoint, sweat started to burst out.

Jesse pretended not to hear them though. He looked at Ben without blinking or looking away, his face serene, his hands tranquil. Nothing in his behavior told a gun was pointed to his head.

"You know Daisy and Nick are also still in the house don't you?" Jesse started talking again, without moving a muscle.

"What are you gonna do to them? Are you gonna shoot them after you've shot me? Cause Daisy sure won't give in easily you know. She will fight you kicking and screaming as soon as she finds out you've been conning her." Jesse looked at Ben as of he wanted to pierce his eyes and reach the brain. "So what you gonna do than Ben? Are you going to shoot them both to win your race?

" Ow Fck!!" Ben said more to him self then anyone else, moving his hands through his hair in a desperate way.

The thought of having to shoot a child and a woman seemed to be too much for him to handle.

His legs were getting weak and he crouched down to the ground letting the gun fall out of his hand while he started to moan softly.

"What the fck is wrong with this town man." He groaned.

Jesse was wise enough to secure the handgun and put it out of reach of the stranger that was moaning at the floor of his barn.

"It's Hazzard of course." The old man said smiling while he cut the ropes that were binding Bo's hands together. 'Not much more to say about that."

It didn't take Bo along time to release himself from the ropes around his feet and to free his cousin as well.

At the same time Ben Haywood had regained himself and was again standing on his two feet.

Bo walked up to him in a not so friendly way, obviously in question or he should punch the guy to the ground or not. "You sure to get that gun far away from him Uncle Jesse?" Bo asked whit lots of resentment in his voice while he was standing in front of his former capturer.

"Don't worry about that Bo." Ben replied in a defeated way. "I will leave ya'all alone. Before the race starts tomorrow I'll be out of town."

"Not before you gave us some explanation of this whole happening." Bo retorted.

"And I'll be happy to punch it out of you, don't worry about THAT!"

"Easy Bo." Luke interfered, knowing how much his younger cousin's temper could resort in unhappy situations. "I'm sure Ben is dying to start talking, aren't you Ben?" Luke said with a slight hind of sarcasm. .

"But not in here he isn't" Jesse meddled before anyone could explain anything.  
"If we keep standing here all night, ya'all be to caught up with a pneumonia to do anything. Now lets get inside"

Of course nobody objected and not much later everybody was sitting in the living room where Daisy had been nervously waiting on their return.

"So start spilling." Bo said impatience the second everybody had taken a chair.

"Well actually, not much you don't know yet I guess." Ben said with a helpless hand gesture.

"Boss Hogg hired me to make sure you wouldn't win tomorrow's race."

"Yeah we guessed that much." Daisy snapped. Like Bo she was pretty upset being lied to. "But why you?"

"Guess Boss heard of my name somewhere. I tend to make a living out of driving other people's races."

"Doing some dirty driving I suppose?" Luke asked.

Ben looked Luke in the eye. "If it has to yes. A guy got to earn his living, doesn't he?"

'Not a real honorable way of making a living." Daisy retorted.

Ben got uneasy. He didn't like the feeling to be judged.

"Look, when Boss Hogg called me, the only thing he said was, I had to drive a race for him. Nothing more nothing less. It wasn't until I already had arrived in Hazzard, he started about taking you guys out of the race. No it wasn't personal okay, just business. I had already driven up hear, so declining the job would mean loss of time end money. Not to mention Boss Hoff threatening I would not be able to get a job anywhere near this neighborhood if I screwed this one up."

"Sounds like Boss." Daisy scorned. "So all about money wasn't it."

"Nothing more than that." Ben replied.

Jesse frowned. Something didn't seem right. He looked at the young man, at the simple clothes he wore and the ragged canvas bag he dragged along

"You don't seem much like the money type to me Ben." Jesse said like he was thinking out loud. "Driving other peoples races most earn you enough. What are you doing with the money?"

Ben was apparently getting nervous. "Don't see why that's important sir. Now I think it's better if I went along. Don't want to impose on you more like I've already done. Like I said before, I'll be out of town before the race begins."

"End why are you so sure we will let you go." Bo snapped. "We should call the state police you know; after all you pulled a gun at us."

Ben's nerves almost gave in now. His hands started twitching and he moved nervously on his chair.

"You can't do that…. You don't understand…If I have to go to prison than…"

"Than what?" Daisy asked. "Are you on some kind of drug or something, you need the money for."

Ben seemed to be amazed of her conclusion. "Drugs? No I'm not on drugs." He said almost disgusted of the word.

"Well than what?" Luke repeated his cousin's question "Why do you need the money for?"

Ben sighed and gave in. "It's my sister okay." He spat out. "She's sick. Pretty badly that is. She has been for years. Some kind of lung disease. The medicines are quit expensive and we aren't that good insured, she still being in college as the darn thing struck her and me not really having a current job, now have I."

"But what about you parents?" Daisy said in a sympathetic voice. "Can't they do nothing?"

"Mom died years a go." Ben shrugged his shoulder. "And that is in some kind of veterans home, think he's Napoleon the one day and God the other."

"So when NASCAR didn't workout, you decided to make the money for the medicine in some other way." Bo summarized

"Exactly." Ben affirmed. "Not like I ever went to college or something, to get a fancy job and make the money that way. The only thing I ever did was driving a car. I already had done some driving in the Nation Wide series, and you can imagine what a thrill it was when I get the offer to race for Melling Racing in the Winston Cup. Chance of a lifetime." Ben suddenly became quiet.

"But it didn't go as you had expected." Bo guessed, even showing some kindness in his voice.

"Ya can say that again." Ben replied. "At that time Jill became ill and well.., just couldn't focus anymore. Endless nights without sleep resorted in sloppy driving. Made stupid mistakes, started to loose races and than finally the crash. I guess Melling draw the line there. Besides they found a new champ, Bill Elliot, he's doing pretty well as I heard."

"That's a real awful story." Daisy said caring. "No wonder you take dirty jobs like this. Ya were just working to keep your sister alive."

Ben nodded. "So now you know, and you understand that if you were going to call the state police I would do anything within my power to get away from here."

"Put you didn't pull the trigger." Luke commented. "You could've, but you didn't"

Ben sighed. "Well I guess there are some things that are just not within my powers no matter what the situation is like. But I will fight you if that's what it takes to get out of here. "

"Well let us not turn in to violence again yet." Jesse stated in his all too familiar voice. "There must be away for all of us, to find some solution to this problem."

"I don't see how sir….. If Hogg….."

"If JD what…..!" Jesse snapped. "We've dealt with him before and we can do it again. There must be a way for us all to drive in that race tomorrow, without anybody getting hurt, without vandalizing cars and without getting you in a fix with that low life of a JD Hogg."

All of the young adults grinned at the passionate response of the old farmer.

:"But how sir?" Ben asked, still not thinking there was a solution, other then him quietly disappearing without his money and fearing never to find a job in Georgia again.

"Well Luke is gonna take care of that." Jesse said with a simple smile.

"I am???" Luke replied amazed.  
"Yeah," Jesse said as he came up from his chair and swatted his nephew friendly on the shoulder. "I'm sure you think of a good plan for us all. Now let us get to bed and have some hours of sleep. Ben, Daisy will get you a sleeping bag and a mattress so you can sleep here in the living room. Sorry that I can't provide you with a proper guestroom but we are currently a bit overbooked." And with those words the old man left the room, leaving the young adults on their own.

"Great!" Luke said sarcastically. "5 Hours before sun up, sure Luke thinks of something, doesn't he always!"

"That's why we trust you so much cus." Daisy said and kissed her dark haired cousin on the cheek before she left the room.

"Goodnight cus." Bo replied almost sadistically and also swatted his cousin's shoulder before leaving.

"Again great!" Luke snarled and in a desperate way he let his head fall back against the wall. .


End file.
